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Monday, 20 April 2009

Limits on roaming charges debated Tuesday 

Tuesday the 21st April 2009 sees MEPs debate the 'roaming' package on mobile telephone networks with many expected to back dramatic cuts in the price of calls and texts when abroad. The Industry Committee has already called for a maximum price of €0.43 per minute when you make calls abroad and €0.11 for text messages. The vote will take place on Wednesday on the first reading of this proposed EU-wide regulation.

The compromise sets price ceilings beneath which mobile operators could compete by offering lower prices:

  • From 1 July 2009: a maximum of €0.43 per minute (excluding VAT) for outgoing and a maximum of €0.19 per minute (excluding VAT) for incoming roaming calls.

  • From 1 July 2010: a maximum of €0.39 per minute (excluding VAT) for outgoing and a maximum of €0.15 per minute (excluding VAT) for incoming roaming calls.

  • From 1 July 2011: a maximum of €0.35 per minute (excluding VAT) for outgoing and a maximum of €0.11 per minute (excluding VAT) for incoming roaming calls.

  • From 1 July 2009 travellers should pay no more than a maximum of €0.11 (excl. VAT) per text message they send.

MEPs also succeeded getting the amendment through that travellers will no longer have to pay for receiving a roaming voicemail from 1 July 2010.

Downloads and internet surfing

The Industry Committee also wants to improve transparency for surfing the web and downloading data on mobile phones while abroad. Members agreed with the Council and Commission that price caps should be set for data roaming services (such as downloading and sending emails from mobile phones).

The price caps for the rates the host operator charges a roaming customer’s home operator will be as follows:

• From 1 July 2009: a maximum of €1.00 per megabyte (excluding VAT).

• From 1 July 2010: a maximum of €0.80 per megabyte (excluding VAT).

• From 1 July 2011: a maximum of €0.50 per megabyte (excluding VAT).
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