When travelling abroad, mobile services, such as making and receiving calls, sending or receiving text messages or downloading data, are operated by a foreign network since the home provider does not operate in that country. To provide this service, the foreign network operator charges the home operator, who in turn passes on these additional charges to the consumer.
At present, a limit on roaming charges ensures that EU travellers do not pay over a certain amount for using their mobile phones while abroad. Consumers are to pay no more than 29c per minute to make a call, 8c per minute to receive a call, 9c to send an SMS and 70c per megabyte to download data or browse the internet.
However, once new legislation is in force, these charges are expected to be scrapped entirely. In fact, the European Parliament voted in April to ban roaming charges across the EU from December 2015.
Under the wide-ranging telecommunications reforms, the cost of making a mobile phone call or downloading internet data in another EU country will be the same as in the consumer’s country of residence.
The initiative stems from the Commission’s proposal for a telecoms regulation geared towards creating a single market for telecommunications in the EU. There is currently a disjointed European market. Telecommunications operators that are locally based and subject to varying rules, charge their customers considerably different tariffs.
This regulation, proposed in September 2013, aims to end roaming charges as well as ensure an open internet for all consumers. It also aims to increase transparency in internet and broadband contracts and facilitate the switch from one provider to another.
In recent years, EU law has sought to lower the costs, so telecommunications operators have had to cap their fees. A European Commission survey published last February revealed that 94 per cent of Europeans travelling abroad tend to limit their use of the internet, including social networks, because of the cost of mobile roaming.
Moreover, according to EU telecommunications regulator Berec (Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications), several internet service providers were blocking or slowing down VoIP services, such as Skype, used to make internet phone calls.
The measure will only affect subscribers to European mobile networks, not those from third countries roaming in Europe. Nor will it impact roaming fees imposed in Europe by non-EU operators. Similarly, it does not apply to European subscribers travelling outside the EU.
The current limit on roaming charges ensures that EU travellers do not pay over a certain amount for using their mobile phones while abroad
The issue will be discussed in greater detail with telecommunications ministers in every member state after the European Parliament elections this month. Although the change is due to come into force from December 15, 2015, it still requires approval from national governments.
This informtion has been provided by the European Consumer Centre Malta. ECC Malta is part of the European Consumer Centres Network, which is financed by the European Commission and the EU member states and consists of 30 centres in the 28 member states, Norway and Iceland.
Odette Vella is senior information officer, Office for Consumer Affairs, Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority.