Bye-bye roaming charges?

Extortionate mobile data roaming charges could be set to become a thing of the past from next summer after MEPs tabled proposals to stop mobile network providers from charging holiday makers from using their phones abroad.

The proposals would mean that mobile phone users would no longer be charged over the odds for making or receiving phone calls whilst sunbathing on the beaches of Southern Europe. The average holidaymaker is currently charged an extra £120 on top of their phone bill each time they go abroad.

At the moment the roaming charges are only to be capped. An extension of these caps will take effect from this summer and will mean that no one can be charged more than £43 on top of their bill in a given billing period. Currently the European Union plans to cap these even further next year.

This news comes as the European Commission voted through proposals to create a single telecoms market throughout the EU. These proposals have been fast tracked by the Commission and are expected to be agreed upon within the next six weeks before being put to heads of government in October. The changes could potentially come into force ahead of the European Parliament elections in June 2014. It is also hoped that a single telecoms market could help with the 4G role out across the EU.
It does seem that the European Commission and MEPs are attempting to take the initiative, with mobile devices set to overtake laptop and PCs in terms of internet usage and the means by which people access their media over the next couple of years. Due to this it is to be expected that these devices will increasingly be used whilst travelling abroad.

The transformation of the mobile market in Europe would also have a benefit for mobile network operators, giving them the freedom to operate in other EU countries and therefore having the ability to make up for revenues which could potentially be lost from the scrapping of roaming charges.

There seems to be a greater level of understanding from governments and international organisations about the development in the mobile telecoms market and the growth of smartphone, this is now being reflected in policy and hopefully in practice for mobile customers.