From January 1, 2026, wholesale data costs will decrease and the gigabytes included in mobile offers will increase. The new phase of Roaming Like at Home comes into force: more countries covered, fewer extra expenses and benefits until 2032
In Europe from 2026 we will sail more and spend less. European roaming enters a new phase: the gigabytes available without additional costs are increasing, the range of countries covered is expanding and prices beyond the threshold are further reduced. It is the direct effect of Roaming Like at Home, the EU regulation that allows you to call, send text messages and surf abroad almost as if you were in Italy and which will remain in force until at least 2032.
More gigabytes in roaming: from 2026 we will surf more while spending less
The most important change concerns the wholesale cost of data, i.e. the maximum price that operators exchange with each other when a customer uses the internet in another EU country. From 1 January 2026 this ceiling drops from 1.30 to 1.10 euros per gigabyte (excluding VAT). It is a technical step, but with very concrete effects: the lower the wholesale cost, the greater the amount of data traffic that operators must include for free in roaming offers. It is a stage in a journey that began in 2022 and will end in 2027, when the definitive ceiling will be set at 1 euro per giga, a value that will remain valid until 2032. In the meantime, the limits for calls and text messages remain unchanged: 0.019 euros per minute for calls and 0.003 euros for each message. In practice, for the same monthly fee, from 2026 it will be possible to use more internet abroad without paying anything extra. A particularly relevant advantage for those with low cost offers, which until now included more stringent limits on the gigabytes that can be used outside Italy.
How to calculate the included gigabytes and how much you really save
The mechanism for calculating the gigabytes available in roaming remains the same, but the divisor changes. From 1 January 2026 the formula becomes: monthly cost of the offer (excluding VAT) divided by 1.10 and multiplied by two. Until 31 December 2025, however, the division takes place by 1.30. For example, if you have an offer of 10 euros per month (excluding VAT), in 2025 the usable gigabytes in Europe will be around 15.4. From 2026, with the new formula, this will rise to around 18.2 gigabytes, without any price increase. Convenience also increases if the threshold is exceeded: the extra cost drops from approximately 1.54 to 1.34 cents per megabyte including VAT. The thresholds set by the European Union are minimum protection thresholds: each operator can choose to offer better conditions, for example by increasing the gigabytes included. But pay attention to possible exceptions. Smaller operators can ask Agcom for authorization to apply different conditions if they demonstrate that the standard ones are economically unsustainable.
New countries included, UK out and the scenario up to 2032
From 2026 the European roaming map will also change. Moldova and Ukraine officially enter, expanding the area where you can use your cell phone like at home. However, the United Kingdom definitively exits, now excluded from all the main Italian operators. Switzerland remains a special case, with inclusion left to the discretion of individual operators.
And looking to the future, to January 1, 2027, the benefits will increase even further. The wholesale cap will drop to 1 euro per gigabyte: essentially, the gigabytes available in roaming will be equal to the cost of the offer (excluding VAT) multiplied by two. Then, barring surprises, everything will remain unchanged until 2032. At that point Brussels will have to decide whether to further extend Roaming Like at Home.
