MEPs approve cuts to roaming costs
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
10.05.2012 14:43
MEPs have voted overwhelmingly in favour of cuts to the costs of mobile phone roaming.
Changes will be introduced as of 1 July this year across the European Union, with lower costs not only for making mobile phone calls while abroad, but also for sending text messages and – if the user has a smartphone - using the internet.
EU citizens on trips to other EU member states will now be set to pay a maximum of 29 euro cents per minute for a phone call (1.40 zloty), or 9 euro cents for a text message (46 groszy).
Meanwhile, for those using the internet on smartphones while abroad, similar cuts are also due.
As of 1 July, the use of one megabyte will fall from over 4.70 euro (20 zloty) to a just under a euro (4 zloty).
Some 578 MEPs voted in favour of the changes, and just ten against.
The above costs are set to be further reduced by 2014, and the EC will then look towards harmonising the cost of calls throughout the EU, regardless of whether a customer is at home or abroad. (nh)