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EUROPEAN UNION

Not so ‘handy’: Switzerland left out as EU ends roaming charges

Mobile phone roaming charges within the EU were officially quashed on June 15th, leaving Swiss customers disadvantaged.

Published: 15 June 2017 10:18 CEST
Not so 'handy': Switzerland left out as EU ends roaming charges
Photo: CebotariN/Depositphotos
The new rules apply to any member of the EU and, later on, the European Economic Area (EEA) which includes Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
 
Under the ‘roam at home’ agreement, customers with a mobile phone contract in these countries will be charged the same for texts, calls and data when abroad within the EU as they are in their home country.
 
Not being a member of either the EU or EEA, Switzerland is not a part of the new agreement.
 
Despite that, some foreign mobile phone companies are extending their roaming-free zone to Switzerland. 
 
 
British customers of O2 and Three, for example, can use their phones in Switzerland on their normal tariff with no extra charge. As can French customers of Orange and Spanish customers of Vodafone. 
 
But it doesn’t work the other way around, with customers of Swiss operators still having to fork out high prices to get a deal including roaming for their handy/natel (as a mobile phone is known in Swiss German and French).
 
Salt charges 89 francs a month for a subscription that includes unlimited roaming in the EU, versus 39 francs a month for a Switzerland-only deal. 
 
Sunrise charges 100 francs for a similar roaming deal under its ‘Freedom’ range, and offers add-on roaming bundles for pay-as-you-go travellers.
 
Swisscom offers subscriptions that include roaming in 190 countries starting from 60 francs a month for 30 days up to a whopping 180 francs a month for unlimited roaming. 
 
Outside monthly deals, pay per text/minute/megabyte prices are also high. For example a Sunrise customer roaming in France would pay 1.10 francs a minute for a local call, 1.30 francs to call Switzerland, 50 centimes to send a text and one franc per megabyte of data, as well as charges to receive calls and texts. 
 
Some in Switzerland fear that the new division between Switzerland and the rest of Europe could be detrimental to Switzerland’s tourism industry. 
 
And back in May Swiss MP Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter said she felt the Swiss government should discuss the issue to ensure Swiss phone users are not discriminated against.
 
“If the EU can stop roaming then it must be possible for Switzerland,” she said.
 
But a spokesman for online comparison site Comparis.ch told Swiss media at the time that roaming charges were a lucrative business for Swiss companies, so they had “little interest” in joining the EU deal.
 
  
 

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IMMIGRATION

Why is Switzerland spending 300 million francs to protect Schengen borders?

From August 1st, 2024, Switzerland will contribute financially to the European effort to strengthen the protection of the Schengen area’s external borders.

Published: 24 July 2024 14:15 CEST
Updated: 31 July 2024 14:08 CEST
Why is Switzerland spending 300 million francs to protect Schengen borders?

Though Switzerland is not a member of the EU, it does belong to the Schengen area — not only benefitting from the access to Europe’s borderless zone, but also participating in its funding.

Financial support is especially needed in Schengen countries with particularly extensive land and sea borders or major international airports on their territories, because they bear a heavy financial burden of securing the zone’s external borders, for the benefit of all the other members.

How will Switzerland’s 300-million-franc contribution be used?

Over the period of next seven years, it will go toward the programme called Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVl), which is part of the fund that ensures efficient management of EU’s borders.

The EU already allocated 6.24 billion euros to the BMVI for a seven-year period, and 300 million francs is Switzerland’s share.

Specifically, those funds will be used towards improving external border controls, investing in common large-scale IT systems in the area of borders management and visa policy, funding infrastructure and equipment, and deployment of immigration liaison officers, among other tasks.

Why is Switzerland contributing 300 million francs?

The BMVl’s goal is to “improve the protection of the external borders of the Schengen area and, therefore, to increase the effectiveness of border controls and prevent illegal immigration,” the Federal Council said. 

This, along with effective and integrated management of the external borders “is also in Switzerland’s interest.”

Also, Switzerland will likely receive grants from the BMVl of around 50 million francs to be allocated mainly to the establishment of new EU information systems (EES Entry and Exit System, and European Travel Information and Authorization System ETIAS) on its territory.

Furthermore, it is planned to use part of these resources to finance the expansion of the border control infrastructure at Zurich Airport.

Benefits for Switzerland

There is no doubt that Swiss citizens benefit greatly from access to the Schengen zone.

Simply put, it allows anyone who is in Switzerland legally to enjoy hassle-free travel to and from the 26 other Schengen states, visa time limits permitting.

Travellers arriving into Switzerland for the first time from a non-Schengen state like the UK or the US will have to queue up to have their passports checked, but after that they can move freely.

That means Swiss citizens, EU nationals, non-EU international residents in Switzerland, tourists, exchange students or people travelling for business can travel on to another Schengen member state, perhaps neighbouring France or Germany by car or train, without having to show their passports. (Although occasionally checks are brought back.) 

That is a definite ‘plus’ for anyone who travels within Europe. Due to Switzerland having so many land borders with other Schengen countries it would have been hugely problematic not to join.
 

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