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EU acts to prevent bill shock for roamers

From 1st July 2010 consumers no longer need to worry about accidentally running up huge bills when they connect to the web via mobile data networks whilst abroad in the EU.
 


For thousands of holidaymakers returning from two weeks in the sun this summer, the only thing they will dread more than the first day back at work is the arrival of their credit card statement.

Although in recent years, mobile phone bills have presented just as big a surprise for some users who choose to watch videos or download music whilst abroad. The worst horror stories include a German traveller who reportedly faced a bill of €46,000 (£38,079) for downloading a film whilst in France and a UK student who was charged €9,000 (£7,450) for one month when studying abroad.
 

New EU data-roaming limits

However, these kinds of post-vacation nightmare should now be consigned to history thanks to new EU roaming rules that came into effect at the beginning of July 2010.
 

The changes mean that data-roaming limits for consumers travelling within the EU will now be automatically set at €50 excluding VAT – that’s unless they have previously chosen another limit (either higher or lower).

Operators will also have to send users a warning when they reach 80% of their data-roaming bill limit and will have to cut off the mobile Internet connection once the limit has been reached, unless the customer has indicated they want to continue data roaming that particular month.

    

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Data-roaming limits now set at a maximum €50 plus VAT

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Maximum price to make a roaming call cut from 43 cents to 39 cents per minute

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Maximum price to receive call cut from 19 cents to 15 cents per minute

 

 
 

Wholesale data prices reduced

Furthermore, maximum wholesale prices for data roaming have fallen from €1 to 80 cents per megabyte. The maximum price for making a roaming call has been reduced to 39 cents per minute (excluding VAT), instead of the previous 43 cents, while receiving a call now costs a maximum of 15 cents per minute (excluding VAT), instead of 19 cents.

These reductions mean that the cost of making and receiving calls when abroad in the EU will now be 73% cheaper than in 2005, when the EU first started to tackle excessive roaming charges.

Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes said: "There will be no more bill shocks for tourists or business travellers surfing the Internet with smart phones or laptops while in another EU country. I am determined to make the EU's telecoms markets more competitive."

 

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