Ukrainians in the EU will continue to be able to communicate with their loved ones at affordable tariffs of their home operators as part of roaming as if they were at home.
The joint statement on affordable roaming in support of Ukraine with European operators was extended for another year. It was signed by 22 European and 7 Ukrainian operators (3Mob, Data Group, Kyivstar, Lifecell, Ukrtelecom, Vega, Vodafone Ukraine).
Joint statement on roaming like at home
The joint statement was signed with the support and coordination of the European Commission and the National Commission for Electronic Communications of Ukraine (NCCIR), as well as with the participation of the Body of European Regulators of Electronic Communications (BEREC). The document remains open to all European operators, who can join it at any time during its validity period.
The operators further undertake to provide each other with roaming services at reduced prices to ensure affordable roaming for Ukrainian subscribers abroad. Thus, over the next 12 months, all Ukrainians who are forced to stay in the EU will be able to continue using affordable roaming and stay in touch with their families, while Europeans, in turn, will enjoy the same rights in Ukraine.
BEREC and the National Commission for the State Regulation of Electronic Communications, Radio Frequency Spectrum and Postal Services (NCCS) will monitor the implementation of the commitments undertaken by the signatories to the agreement.
What’s next
“We are now working on joining the single roaming area with the EU. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already signed the draft law, and the European Commission will evaluate it. After that, we will start negotiations on joining Euroroaming,” said Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
According to him, Ukrainians will be able to use unified mobile and internet tariffs in the 27 EU countries without roaming fees even after the end of martial law. And guests from EU countries will be able to use their home tariffs in Ukraine.
What does Vodafone provide?
In particular, Vodafone reported that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Vodafone has been supporting Ukrainians seeking protection in European countries, and therefore extends the “Affordable Roaming as a Gift” campaign, which allows customers in 30 countries to connect the “Affordable Roaming” service for free. The service includes 10GB of mobile Internet and 100 minutes of calls to subscribers in Ukraine and the host country.
Vodafone Ukraine has a long history of effective cooperation with European operators. The history of Vodafone in Ukraine began in 2015 with tariffs with affordable roaming. These were the first tariffs that did not cause Ukrainians to be shocked and want to turn off their phones immediately after crossing the border, and roaming became truly affordable.
The next step was cooperation with European operators after the large-scale invasion, which resulted in Ukrainians being able to use communication abroad at Ukrainian tariffs with the Affordable Roaming service. The service was extended in 2024.