Roaming charges could end from October

The end of mobile roaming charges is 'in the bag', some member states believe

Mobile roaming charges have been cut by EU regulations 

harges for mobile phones across the EU are looking increasingly likely to come to fruition.

High level meetings at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, involving a number of member states, included discussion of the issue. Sources from at least two countries said they regarded the plans, previously regarded as unlikely to be implemented, as “in the bag”.

Although discussions of the measure have been delayed by Brussels’ bureaucracy, a vote is expected in mid-March, followed by implementation from October.

Originally proposed by the European Commission as an extension of existing arrangements that have already lowered roaming charges, many industry and government figures had feared they would be impossible to implement. The suggestion that they are increasingly likely will be seen as a victory for outgoing Commissioner Neelie Kroes.

Although the removal of roaming charges could wipe 2pc off mobile operators’ revenues, the expected consolidation in the industry would allow greater economies of scale for the high costs of investing to build networks capable of handling ever-growing volumes of data.

Under the current plans, operators could be banned from charging for incoming calls from as early as October, with negotiations beginning in July. All other roaming charges would be scrapped by 2016.
Speaking in November, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the proposed reforms would benefit both consumers and operators.
He claimed "Further substantial progress towards a European single market for telecoms is essential for Europe's strategic interests and economic progress, for the telecoms sector itself and for citizens who are frustrated that they do not have full and fair access to internet and mobile services."
The new reforms would also include single national regulators being empowered to approve companies to operate services across the single market, mirroring the current regulatory system for web companies.
Ms Kroes, said “It is clear that there is majority support for the telecoms single market package, and that the package is a win-win for all the different parties.”