This information is not new, but it has a somewhat reassuring effect just before the summer holidays: the specter of “roaming” has become toothless and is being phased out. The risk of a cost trap has already been reduced this year and the first stage of roaming abolition has been in force since the end of April 2016.
You can therefore consider waiving a special tariff for abroad this year. However, you should consider which area of use you are using (keyword: cost-benefit factor). Since April 30, 2016, roaming surcharges may not exceed the following amounts:
- €0.05 per minute for calls
- €0.02 per SMS, or
- €0.05 per megabyte of data volume for mobile internet use.
* The upper price limit applies per MB, but is billed per kilobyte.
Prices without VAT
** Roaming charges do not apply if you only use your mobile phone temporarily abroad.
However, mobile phone operators can still charge fees for long-term use of your SIM card in another country. These price caps apply to everyone – unless you have selected a specific service or package. Of course, your mobile operator may offer cheaper tariffs. So you should keep an eye out.
Source: Europa.eu
Another EU press report on this topic reads:
Abolition of mobile roaming fees will become a reality in 2017
Mobile roaming charges within the EU will be abolished from June 15, 2017. In addition, EU-wide regulations to ensure access to an open Internet, also known as “net neutrality”, will apply for the first time. This is what the new regulation contained in the Telekom package, which Parliament finally approved on Tuesday, provides.
“Everyone has been waiting for the abolition of roaming surcharges for a long time: citizens, start-ups, SMEs and all kinds of organizations. Thanks to this agreement, Europe will also become the only region in the world to legally guarantee open internet and net neutrality. The principle of network neutrality applies directly in the 28 member states. This will also ensure that we do not get two-speed internet,” said rapporteur Pilar del Castillo (EPP, ES).
Roaming charges for the use of mobile phones in other EU (and EEA) countries for calls, SMS and internet access will be abolished on June 15, 2017.
Cost coverage for operators and prevention of misuse
If operators can demonstrate that they are not covering their costs and can demonstrate that this has an impact on domestic prices, national regulatory authorities may allow them to apply, in exceptional cases, minimal surcharges to cover all relevant costs. The MPs were able to ensure that the regulatory authorities have the power to change or reject such surcharges.
The regulation also establishes provisions for appropriate use
introduced to protect the industry from misuse or "persistent roaming", for example when the customer buys a SIM card in another EU country where domestic prices are lower to use it at home, or if the customer resides abroad permanently but uses a contract concluded in and for his home country.
The Commission has been tasked with defining the details of this fair use policy with the regulators.
Sources: European Parliament press release
Notes:
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