EC proposes to slash roaming charges

The cost of mobile calls between EU states may be cut by three quarters

European regulators have bowed to pressure from mobile phone lobbyists and now plan to cap, rather than scrap, roaming charges between countries.

The European Commission is proposing a maximum price of 11p a minute for receiving calls from abroad, 34p for making calls to another country, and 23p a minute to make calls within a country. It is pressing for these changes to come into force next summer.

Currently, roaming charges vary widely depending on which provider the customer is contracted to, the country they are in, and whether they are making or receiving calls. On average a UK citizen abroad might expect to pay per minute charges of 42p when receiving, and £1.20 when calling.

After the EC announced it was considering legislation to reduce these high charges, mobile phone companies responded by offering better roaming deals and prices. However further improvements are needed, said the EC.

“The Commission welcomed moves by these operators but unfortunately the benefits do not go far enough in providing consumers with a similar experience to that which they get at national level, which is the over-riding objective of the EU regulation. Few of the offers have tackled one of the major problems of roaming, the excessive charges for receiving calls,” according to a posting on the EC’s roaming site.