New EU roaming charge caps come into force
Good news for holidaymakers: from today new EU roaming charge caps will come into effect, saving you money on your mobile phone bill.
If you’re heading into Europe on holiday this summer, you’re guaranteed lower costs on your mobile phone bill thanks to EU legislation which comes into force today.
Be aware though that as this legislation comes from the EU, it only affects EU countries. The caps are not applicable to European countries that aren't member states, like Switzerland or Norway.
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New maximum charges
The new maximum charges are as follows (excluding VAT) – prices are given in Euro cents. At the time of writing, 10¢ is roughly equivalent to 8p sterling.
|
Service |
Cost |
|
Outgoing calls |
19¢ per min |
|
Incoming calls |
5¢ per min |
|
Outgoing texts |
6¢ per text |
|
1MB data download |
20¢ per interval |
The EU Commission’s objective is to create “an internal market for roaming services in the Union,” where there would be no significant difference in cost between national and roaming tariffs.
The regulation of roaming charges may be withdrawn in the future if competition in the roaming market reaches the point where we can get a good deal without the need for legislated caps.
Bill shock
A survey ahead of the caps being put in place by Which? showed that one in six people (17%) who took their mobile phone abroad over the past year have received a shockingly high bill upon their return.
One in four who experienced bill shock were charged over £40 more than their normal bill.
Which? also revealed that nearly half (45%) of mobile users didn’t realise that the cap doesn’t extend to the whole of Europe.
If you’re planning to travel, it’s a good idea to turn off data roaming on your handset. Otherwise, your phone may automatically connect to the internet without you realising, and incur a large cost. You can also use Wi-Fi hotspots to connect to the internet rather than a mobile internet connection
Download videos and music before you leave, not when you get to your destination and speak to your provider to see if they offer packages for travelling abroad that offer reasonable rates.
Read Ofcom’s Guide to preventing ‘bill shock’ if you’re in need of further guidance.
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Comments
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I am surprised that users are 'shocked' at the costs. Perhaps they cannot read? When I go to Europe my Tesco mobile beeps and says welcome etc. and then tells you exactly what the costs will be to use in Europe. How simple is that ? As the above commentor as indicted probably many users are too stupid to be helped. Sadly my Tesco phone does not work in the US so I buy a cheap phone from Target for use on holiday. But if I need to phone the UK I use E mail is much cheaper! Pretty well all hotels have wi-fi free.
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Clear confirmation (as if we needed it) that 45% of mobile users are too stupid to read their phone contract agreements and yet again have to be saved from their own foolishness. This is good EU legislation, but could equally well be enforced by national governments, so let's not be fooled that this is exclusively a benefit of EU membership. The vast majority who get caught up in huge roaming charges have nothing to say worth saying and spent a fortune on inane downloads. I make business trips to Europe and maybe have to allow an extra £20 or so for various add-on deals or additional phones. A seamless tariff system will be a help but is not a deal-breaker . THREE now have a 'Feel at Home' arrangement with several countries including the USA, Australia and Italy where your home tariff and all allowances apply at no extra cost, so these reductions in roaming charges are not exclusively EU driven, it is just a case, as it was for phone call costs, that mass adoption of technology and customer awareness drives prices down.
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01 July 2014