Roaming charges

Roaming fees for voice calls, texts and internet access will effectively be completely scrapped under the proposals, which are part of a broader effort to create a single European telecoms market.

The group of 27 European Commissioners voted in Brussels on Tuesday to drive the package through in time for the European elections in May next year, to come into force as soon as 1 July 2014.

“They agreed that this time next year we will have got rid of these charges,” a Brussels source said
Officials will draw up and publish detailed proposals in the next six weeks.

They expect the death of roaming charges to typically wipe 2pc off mobile operators’ revenues, after several years of tightening regulations designed to put an end to shockingly high bills for holiday makers and business travellers. They argue that operators will gain in the longer term by customers using their mobiles more abroad, particularly to access the internet.

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02 charges 1.99 to use abroad, it used to be 4.99 before the last revue !!

Mine is £3 and I can use from my own 2GB.

I agree John with you. I know they all tell you wonderful things but my experience has always Ben big bills when I get back from France.

The EU Commission sometimes get a bad rap but I have to say I really appreciate their efforts to bring the mobile operators to heel. They have already brought roaming charges and various costs down and the total abolition of roaming charges would be most welcome.

Our own regulator (in ROI) called Comreg is pretty much useless. I took a few complaints to their attention and they didn't seem interested in helping or putting themselves out.

My pet hates with the mobile operators are as follows:

- Roaming charges as mentioned above

- The fact that 1850 numbers or 1890 numbers are not included in the plans (these are free calls or low cost calls if you call from a land line but you have to pay for the call if you call from a mobile even if you have minutes from your plan to use)

- I had an O2 dongle for a broadband account. If I went over the monthly data allowance, the cost per unit (per mb) increased by approx 17 times - that's 1700 percent. I don't mind paying for using more than my allowance but 1700 per cent more per unit I believe is a rip off.

- The operators will not share networks. In ROI there are places where Vodafone have good coverage but O2 have none - and vice versa. It means if you are in a place where your operator has no network you are without a phone despite the fact that a perfectly good network is available. Sharing networks would give a more complete and reliable coverage for all mobile customers. (They could easily implement sharing and cross charge each other for use of each others network)

Mobile operators = rip off merchants

Also I bet when the roaming charges are done away with, when you are in another country it will not be part of your bundle.

Excellent I'm a three customer I was thinking of switching to another provider but not anymore especially and they aint supposed to be charging extra for their 4G whenever its rolled out unlike other providers.

You on Three Jack?

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