iPad roaming charges '1,000 times more expensive than UK useage'

Using tablet devices such as the Apple iPad or the Samsung Galaxy Tab overseas can be up to 1,000 times more costly than equivalent 3G internet use in the UK, consumer group Which? has warned.

The consumer rights group said accessing 3G internet to check emails, watch videos and download music on a tablet while abroad, and particularly outside Europe, could cost holidaying Britons several thousand pounds for the same usage that would typically cost £15 or less in the UK.

Although data charges are limited to about £40 in the EU due to an automatic cap required by EC regulation, and some operators have caps for use further afield, others don't have a limit on how big a bill a customer can rack up.

Charges for 3G web access in the UK start at £7.50 a month for 1GB of data – with 3's sim-only iPad plan – but overseas tablet roaming charges are vastly more expensive. Which? said T-Mobile requires users to buy a booster in EU countries, each lasting 24 hours and costing £1 for 3MB, £5 for 20MB, and £10 for 50MB, and charges £7.50 a MB outside of Europe, which is equivalent to more than £7,680 for 1GB.

Similarly, while Orange will not permit data roaming on the iPad it will charge Samsung Galaxy Tab users £3.07 a MB in the EU and European Economic Area, and £8 a MB elsewhere – landing holidaymakers in the US with an £8,192 bill for 1GB of use. Vodafone charges in blocks of 50MB, and charges £9.99 a block in Europe and £29.99 outside of Europe.

Operator 3 automatically cuts off its mobile broadband and tablet users when their bill reaches £50 – if it didn't its charge of £10 a MB in Canada would cost customers £10,240 for 1GB. T-Mobile sends a text advising of costs when its customers arrive in a country where it has a roaming agreement. Orange requires you to call its customer services to activate your tablet for use abroad and says its staff will explain the high cost of data roaming. O2's tablet plans do not allow overseas use.

General web browsing and emailing during a holiday is unlikely to see users hitting 1GB of usage, but streaming online television and films can eat-up a lot more data. Some smart phone and tablet users could also find their devices rack up big bills without them knowing because they access the internet to carry out automatic updates.

Which? mobile services specialist Ceri Stanaway said: "With tablet data roaming costs often so astoundingly expensive, we would like to see all operators do all they can to keep their customers informed of costs. Ideally, this would be – as a bare minimum – sending a notification to your tablet advising of costs, no matter where in the world you are, and by making tablet roaming costs explicitly obvious on operator websites.

"T-Mobile told us that its lowest level EU booster – £1 for 3MB – would only give you around 15 minutes of emailing and general web browsing. Until costs come down my advice to anyone considering using their tablet for more data-heavy web tasks – such as watching online TV or video calls back home – is to steer clear of 3G data roaming and instead use free wi-fi access where available."

If you are a frequent traveller you may be able to save money by buying an upgrade from your operator that offers reduced international call costs, or if you spend a lot of time in one country it may be worth getting a local pay-as-you-go sim card.

Which? has also warned of the high costs of using your mobile phone to make and receive calls overseas. Unlike within the UK, mobile users must pay to receive calls as well as to make them. Prices are capped in the EU, but calls made elsewhere can be up to 10 times more expensive and texts can be four times more expensive.

Using standard pay-monthly prices, regular phone use (making and receiving seven 10-minute calls and sending 10 texts) on a two-week holiday in France would cost up to £190 in the US, and up to £300 from Russia.