Data roaming charges to end in EU within two years

ballyblack

I wonder is it going to be for real this time?:undecided


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-33325031



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Cisco001

Are we staying in EU?

Silk

Cisco001 wrote: »

Are we staying in EU?

Very good !

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

d123

Cisco001 wrote: »

Are we staying in EU?

Well, if we don't I think it's fair to assume the charges won't be reducing and disappearing as planned, we can probably expect to see £1+ a minute and £5+ per MB coming back to Euro roaming shortly after any Brexit.

Here's the actual EU announcement.

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2015/06/30-roaming-charges/

End of roaming fees in mid-2017

Under the agreement, roaming surcharges in the European Union will be abolished as of 15 June 2017. However, roaming providers will be able to apply a 'fair use policy' to prevent abusive use of roaming. This would include using roaming services for purposes other than periodic travel.

Safeguards will be introduced to address the recovery of costs by operators.

Roaming fees will already go down on 30 April 2016, when the current retail caps will be replaced by a maximum surcharge of €0.05 per minute for calls, €0.02 for SMSs and €0.05 per megabyte for data.

basill

It looks good but I don`t think this agreement will compel phone companies to let customers use their inclusive bundles whilst roaming. So roaming data will just not be quite so expensive.

B

d123

basill wrote: »

It looks good but I don`t think this agreement will compel phone companies to let customers use their inclusive bundles whilst roaming. So roaming data will just not be quite so expensive.

B

From 2017 there are NO surcharges allowed, if the networks don't let you use your allowance it means they are just giving you totally free minutes/texts/data. I don't see that happening, it will have to be in allowance (but with a FUP over time allowed to be used roaming).

NFH

The full press releases are:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20150630IPR72111/html/Cheaper-mobile-calls-and-open-internet-MEPs-and-ministers-strike-informal-deal

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-15-5265_en.htm?locale=en

Forget buying a SIM card in a cheap country and using it most of the time in the UK. According to the the Q&A, "The rules prevent abusive uses: for example, if the customer buys a SIM card in another EU country where domestic prices are lower to use it at home; or if the customer permanently stays abroad with a domestic subscription of his home country. This is not the usual use of roaming as the vast majority of Europeans experience it. These unusual behaviours are also called 'permanent roaming' and could have a negative impact on domestic prices, and ultimately on consumers. This is why there is a fair use safeguard. Once that limit is reached while being abroad, a small basic fee can be charged. This will be much lower than current caps (maximum prices that operators can charge consumers for roaming in the EU) and is likely to decrease even further. The Commission has been mandated to define the details of the fair use limit."

System

Strictly speaking it's the whole EEA.

I can't comment about Little England but Scotland isn't leaving the EEA anytime soon

Cisco001 wrote: »

Are we staying in EU?

mobilejunkie

If England does "Scotland" won't have a choice.

Roger1

NFH wrote: »

Forget buying a SIM card in a cheap country and using it most of the time in the UK.

Sure, but I think there is scope for PAYG users of Toggle SIMs. These offer UK calls at 3p per minute to landlines and mobiles.

The offer is much wider, offering similar rates (sometimes to mobiles @ 9p per minute) to 13 countries - and from those countries if you register for a foreign number. See https://www.togglemobile.co.uk

Downside for some FTers is minimum top up of £20.

EDIT: the info is for voice calls, so could appear elsewhere. Toggle do have data plans, which I'll check to see whether they're of use to me.