Europeans will pay less from July 1 to use their mobile phones in each other’s countries following agreement yesterday between the European Commission, the European Parliament and EU member states.
Consumers are fed up with being ripped off by high charges
Tourists, in the past, have complained of falling victim to high roaming charges.
Under the deal, European mobile operators will reduce the cost of using a mobile abroad from a maximum of 35 cents (plus tax) a minute to a maximum of 29 cents a minute.
Rates will further be reduced in 2013 and 2014 when the maximum price of a call will be set at 19 cents a minute.
In addition, consumers will soon be able to buy special short-term phone packages when travelling abroad, allowing them to use their own phones and their own numbers.
The deal allows for ratification by the European Parliament in May and by individual states in June.
European commissioner for new technologies, Neelie Kroes, welcomed the deal, saying: “consumers are fed up with being ripped off by high roaming charges.”
“The new roaming deal gives us a long-term structural solution, with lower prices, more choice and a new smart approach for data and internet browsing. The benefits will be felt in time for the summer break – and by summer 2014, people can shop around for the best deal,” the commissioner added.
Ms Kroes voiced frustration earlier this year at the fact that all operators are sticking to the high end of the call charges ceilings, effectively blocking wider competition which should drive down prices even further.
The Commission said yesterday that, until competition does reduce retail prices even further than the rates imposed by EU law, the roaming rules will progressively lower current retail price caps on voice and texting (SMS) services, with a new retail price cap for mobile data services. The caps will stay in force as “a safeguard for consumers” until June 2017.
The Commission said today that, until competition does reduce retail prices even further than the rates imposed by EU law, the roaming rules will progressively lower current retail price caps on voice and texting (SMS) services, with a new retail price cap for mobile data service.