Mobile phones: Data roaming charges will be abolished

[Michael Browne]

Extra costs of using a mobile phone in countries across the EU are to be scrapped, MEPs have agreed, after years of negotiations.

 

The ban on data roaming charges from 15 June 2017 has received a final green light in the European Parliament.

 

Roaming charges are added by mobile operators for calls, texts and internet browsing when phone users are abroad.

 

An interim cap on charges will take effect from 30 April next year, prior to the full ban across the EU.

 

 

That means telecoms operators will be able to add a surcharge of no more than:

 

• €0.05 (3.5p) extra per minute for calls
  
• €0.02 extra per SMS sent
  
• €0.05 extra per megabyte of data used
  

The cap would make roaming within the EU 75% cheaper during the interim period, the European Commission has said.

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34646434

[citizenB]

The ban on data roaming charges from 15 June 2017 has received a final green light in the European Parliament.

 

 

 

Why is it taking so long to remove the charges

[MaxxPower]

I suspect to give the operators time to update their systems.

Or they possibly thought it would just take longer to get the regulations through.