T-Mobile to cut roaming rates

T-Mobile has announced that it will cut data roaming charges by 80 per cent from 1 July, and the cost of sending texts from EU countries by 30 per cent from 30 August.

In a statement, the German mobile operator said, "We will cut the cost of international internet access from a handset and mobile broadband connectivity via a USB dongle or data card from £7.50 per megabyte to £1.50, and the cost of sending a text from EU countries will be brought down by 38 per cent, from 0.40p to 0.25p."

T-Mobile's action will be welcomed by corporate mobile workers who download lots of data using 3G when abroad on business.

The announcement may also placate European Union Commissioner for Information Society and Media, Viviane Reding. She has continually harried EU mobile operators, to get them to reduce mobile charges.

Earlier this month she set a deadline of 1 July for EU mobile operators to reduce both SMS and data roaming prices. "I saw the figures released yesterday by the GSM association: SMS roaming prices are now at 28 eurocent – down from 29 eurocent per roamed SMS. Ladies and gentlemen, I am not impressed by this," she told a ministerial meeting.

Reding warned that regulatory intervention would be necessary again if mobile operators didn't reduce charges. "So, CEOs of all mobile operators: Do your job, respond to consumer concerns and lower your prices. You know exactly where you have to go."