[nunobrito]

Yep. Still remember when I got charged 8 EUR just for being close to the border with the Czech Republic but still within our side of the border.

They made a lot of money with this roaming business.

[ptaipale]

All GSM and later digital phones, starting with Nokia 2110 and its contemporaries, had an option to refuse roaming - just to avoid accidental phone bills like this.

(I think the 1st generation NMT network in Nordic countries also had the same, though I am not sure as I never owned one.)