Carphone reveals the true cost of free roaming in 22 countries

Carphone reveals the true cost of free roaming in 22 countries

Last month high street retailer Carphone Warehouse announced it would be launching its own mobile network, dubbed iD, and we now know it will officially go live tomorrow on May 12.

Carphone has confirmed customers will be able to choose from 12 month, 24 month and 30 day rolling contracts - with the cheapest 4G deals starting at just £7.50 per month.

You'll be able to pick up a SIM-only deal with unlimited data, 2000 minutes and 5000 texts for £20 per month, while data only plans (perfect for cellular tablets) start at £5 per month.

Free roaming, at a cost

Possibly the biggest selling point for iD is the fact it offers you free roaming in 22 countries - but you have to fork extra on a 24 month 'TakeAway' plan for the privilege.

While the non-roaming 'Go To' plans start at 13.50 for 12 months and £11.50 for 24 months, the 'TakeAway' tariffs on iD start at £25.50 per month - a considerable increase over the other options.

It's currently not clear what allowances you'll receive on these different plans as we await further details on the whole pricing structure, but Carphone has reveal a couple of introductory offers.

A free Samsung Galaxy A3 on a 12 month 4G plan with 300 minutes, 5000 texts and 1GB of data costs £19.50 per month, while a free Nokia Lumia 635 can be yours for £7.50 per month over two years which gives you 150 minutes, 5000 texts and a paltry 250MB of data.

Want to know which countries are included in the free roaming 'TakeAway' plan? Then check out the comparison table below.

iD

John McCann
Former Global Managing Editor

TechRadar's former Global Managing Editor, John has been a technology journalist for more than a decade, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s interviewed CEOs from some of the world’s biggest tech firms, visited their HQs, and appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC, and BBC Radio 4.

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