EU Commission to further harmonise mobile roaming costs – Update

Update: As of 1st July 2012, the Agreement drawn up at EU level regulating this matter will come into force. This will effectively ensure that roaming costs for calls will be capped at a maximum of 29 cents per minute where before the limit was 35 cents per minute plus tax. Furthermore, this Agreement stands to decrease the cost up to 19 cents per minute by the year 2014. SMS costs will be capped at 9 cents while abroad and reduced by another third by 2014. Internet costs will also be regulated while roaming. This will start at being 70 cents per megabyte and will be reduced to 20 cents per megabyte by 2014.

The main line of reasoning underlying this agreement is the promotion of further competition on a pan European level between operators. Some operators have actually welcomed this measure with open arms, openly admitting that competition was the way forward. Ratification by individual Member States will take place in June this year.

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