By Martin Banks - 6th July 2011
We need to make a single European telecoms market a reality
Fiona Hall
The European commission has proposed a major revision of the existing rules on roaming mobile phone charges, with new price caps for data downloads proposed.
Surfing the internet or receiving emails while abroad will cost no more than 90 cents per megabyte from July 2012, falling to around 50 cents by 2014.
The proposal, announced on Wednesday, will now require approval by parliament and member states in a process likely to conclude next spring.
MEP reaction was swift with UK deputy Fiona Hall, leader of the Liberal Democrats in parliament saying, "These announcements are a welcome step in the fight to end exorbitant charges and bill shocks for the UK's 10 million smart phone users.
"Price controls should always be a last resort, but these changes are long overdue and will benefit consumers while boosting competition in the longer term.
"We need to make a single European telecoms market a reality."
S&D member Catherine Stihler MEP said, "This is welcome news for consumers who are still being charged too much for using their phones when abroad.
"We have already taken action to bring down the cost of making calls and sending texts while in another EU country.
"But with people increasingly using their smart phones to access the internet and online services, many mobile operators are ripping-off off consumers with hugely inflated charges.
"We'll need to look at the detail of what is being proposed by the commission, but this looks like a very positive step forward."
Stihler also warned mobile companies not to try to use the proposals as an excuse to drive up prices for other services:
"Mobile phone operators have known for some time that if they did not act to end these unfairly high charges then the EU would act to protect consumers.
"These companies are making big profits out of people who use their phone while on holiday without realising the huge costs that could entail.
"There can be no excuse for raising prices just because these rip-off roaming fees are being challenged."
Elsewhere, the group, Europeans for Fair Roaming, welcomed the new EU proposals but said that the proposed price caps for data roaming are still too high.
Campaign coordinator Bengt Beier stated, "The new proposals are a great step forward.
"The commission has taken up many of the proposals we have been making, especially to strengthen market forces to bring down prices: the ability to decouple roaming services from domestic services and easier market access for small and virtual operators."
