Cheap roaming for the asking

European travellers will be able to enjoy cheaper mobile calls from the end of July

European travellers will be able to take advantage of cheaper mobile calls from the end of July, as a result of new roaming rules that came into force across the EU on 30 June.

Under the rules, roaming charges will be pegged back to a single “Eurotariff”, which all operators will be legally obliged to offer their customers.

Operators have to start offering the new tariff by the end of July. It sets the maximum rate for making calls at 0.49 euros per minute, and 0.24 euros for receiving them. However, for the next three months operators can keep users on the old tariffs unless they request to be moved to the lower rates.

“The operators have already won by getting this opt-in clause, especially since most people won’t be bumped to the new tariff until after they’ve come back from their holidays,” said Ovum analyst Matthew Howett.