Cost of using a mobile in Europe cut by up to 60%
Last updated at 7:28 PM on 30th June 2009
Millions of holidaymakers have been promised the cost of using a mobile phone in Europe will be cut by up to 60 per cent from today.
A cap on the cost of sending texts, plus controls on call costs, surfing the web and downloading material including videos comes into effect following a European Commission ruling.
Sending a text message home from another EU state will drop from an average of around 25p to a maximum 0.11 euro (10p), plus VAT.
To make a call from another EU country will cost no more than 0.43 euro (37p) per minute plus VAT. It is due to fall further to around 30p by 2011.
And it will cost no more than 0.19 euro (17p) per minute plus VAT to receive a call.
Mobile phone operators will also be required to bill these so-called roaming calls by the second not the minute, which should also cut the size of bills.
A cap of 1 euro per megabyte will also be placed on the wholesale cost of data roaming charges - the figure mobile networks charge each other for customers to surf the web or make downloads.
It is expected this cut will be passed on to the public. EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding praised the ruling and said: 'The roaming rip-off is coming to an end.'
No comments:
Post a Comment