EU mobile phone roaming charges to end in 2017
The European Union has pledged to abolish mobile phone roaming charges across the continent by summer 2017 in a measure which will prove a god send to holidaymakers long left out of pocket by exorbitant fees.
For years travellers have complained of returning home only to find they face hefty bills to cover the cost of data and downloads conducted abroad through picture messaging, email or maps – despite most providers now capping such charges.
The EU had previously pledged to abolish roaming charges this year but was forced to back down in the face of vociferous complaints from telecoms giants, who warned crafty consumers would simply travel to a country with cheap mobile costs, such as Cyprus, to buy a SIM card for use at home at far lower rates than indigenous companies offer.
In recent months some operators have taken matters into their own hands to tempt custom, with Three voluntarily scrapping roaming charges in selected countries to broaden its market share.