Roam Like at Home: A major step forward for Luxembourgers

Six years after the adoption of the European regulation on data roaming, a Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2023 in each Member State assessed European citizens’ perception of the measure. The survey targeted European Union (EU) residents aged 16 and over who had travelled to another EU or European Economic Area (EEA) country in the last two years, and had used their mobile phone to make calls, send text messages or browse the internet.

It is no surprise that Luxembourg stands out, with 82% of respondents having travelled in the last two years, making its population the most mobile in Europe.

Overall, the results are highly positive: 73% of Luxembourg respondents – compared with 65% across all EU countries – report benefiting from the absence of roaming charges when travelling within the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway. This perception underscores the regulation’s success in facilitating mobility and communication for European citizens.

However, 43% of Luxembourgers surveyed noted that their mobile network’s quality while roaming was lower than what they were accustomed to in Luxembourg. This difference can be attributed to the disparities in mobile coverage across Europe: while some countries have extensive 5G coverage, others are still in the process of deployment. Luxembourg, as one of the best-served countries in terms of connectivity, offers its citizens a superior network experience compared to what they might encounter when travelling abroad.

Regarding the duration of stays abroad, 4% of respondents in Luxembourg indicated that they had spent more than four months in an EU or EEA country. Additional costs may apply for stays exceeding four months, as the roaming legislation is designed primarily for short-term trips under the ‘fair use’ principle.

If you spend more time abroad than at home over a four-month period, your operator may request justification for this usage. While additional charges may apply, these are capped within the EU. In 2022, data supplements were limited to €2 per gigabyte, with a gradual reduction to €1 per gigabyte by 2027.

The fair use principle is intended to prevent Europeans from purchasing mobile contracts in countries with the cheapest tariffs without actually residing there.

For Luxembourgers, who frequently travel within the EU, the elimination of roaming charges represents a significant improvement in their quality of life, as highlighted by the results of the Eurobarometer survey. This is a major step toward creating a more interconnected Europe, something Luxembourg strongly advocates for.

Read the 2023 Eurobarometer study on roaming.