The EU will announce dramatic measures that will put an end to premium charges when using mobile data services in the EU, making it cheaper for people with smartphones to use internet on their devices whilst abroad. The new data roaming charges will cost no more than 81p per megabyte when the new ruling comes into force on 1 July 2012 and will fall to around 40p by 2014.
Ernest Doku, technology expert at uSwitch.com, says: “This has not come a moment too soon. People have been paying extortionate prices for the privilege of using their mobile abroad and millions have been stung by a nasty bill on their return.
“Even though the EU made a tentative first step to curb costs last year through the introduction of the €50 cap, it didn’t go far enough. The cap simply limited the amount people could use their phone, rather than the high prices they were being charged. By lowering call and text charges to a manageable level, consumers now have the freedom to roam at an affordable cost. With more than ten million smartphones now in circulation in the UK, this will be welcome news to gadget lovers.
“Holidaymakers will be able to seek better roaming deals when abroad by using a different network, while keeping their same phone number and SIM card. This will inject much needed competition into the market and minimise bill shocks for mobile users in the future. It’s just a shame that the Commission had to force the hand of the operators to achieve this.
“People should still note that this ruling doesn’t cover popular holiday destinations in Europe such as Turkey nor many countries further afield. Wherever you are going, it’s still well worth contacting your network before you travel to ensure that you fully understand the cost of using your phone while you are away. Switch off your voicemail and roaming options unless you really need to use them, and remember that international and local SIM cards are a great way to making calls while abroad as you can benefit from far cheaper rates.”
Source : uSwitch.com
