Virgin Media O2, the only major operator that opted against roaming charges, says over £8.9 million may have been spent every week across July and August.
The research was accumulated through anonymised aggregated movement data collected by O2 Motion which uses connections to mobile masts to gain insights into crowd movement trends.
Gareth Turpin, chief commercial officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “As people continue to feel the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, it’s alarming to see just how much European roaming charges have cost this summer.
“We’re proud to be the only major mobile network to not bring back roaming fees in Europe, so our customers can roam freely, with one less thing to worry about as they take well-earned holidays.”
Over July and August, estimated roaming charges for non-O2 customers could have cost travellers to Spain almost £26.1 million, to France almost £14.8 million and Greece £9.6 million.
“Our data shows that this summer European travel has bounced back to pre-pandemic highs, and we know that many UK travellers rely on their mobiles to help them navigate, explore and make the most of their time away,” Turpin added.
“We’re committed to upgrading the holiday experience for people in the UK, providing seamless connectivity at home and abroad.”
