Mobile calls in European countries will be significantly cheaper for travelers
As "Russkaya Germaniya" notes, the abolition of roaming in the European Union is a gradual process. Over the past ten years, the European Commission has worked to gradually reduce mobile communication tariffs while traveling. Negotiations on the complete abolition of roaming resumed in 2015 and ended with the adoption of a package of amendments setting price caps on mobile communication costs.
From June 15, 2017, mobile roaming will be abolished between EU member states. This means that subscribers from the 28 European Union countries, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland will be able to make calls, send SMS, and use the internet at their "home" tariff. For ordinary Europeans, the abolition of roaming within the EU is no less significant than such important integration initiatives as the introduction of the euro and the Schengen Agreement. Some experts call the single mobile communication space the last step towards a united Europe.
And in the German press, this event was described as "a gesture towards the Facebook generation" and "advanced youth" – people who travel a lot and prefer to stay connected at all times. The abolition of roaming will make life easier not only for travel enthusiasts but also for those who spend a lot of time on business trips.
Many consider the gradual reduction of prices for calls abroad one of the most important achievements of the European Commission. It is estimated that the maximum possible cost will be 0.32 euros per minute of conversation and 0.01 euros per SMS message. The cost of internet traffic will gradually decrease from 7.70 euros per 1GB from June 15, 2017, to 2.50 euros per 1GB from January 1, 2022.
It should be noted that the new legislation on inter-operator roaming has grounds for abuse, which could cause operators to incur losses. For example, telecommunications companies feared that a citizen of any EU country could buy a SIM card in another country where tariffs are lower and then use it at home. For instance, mobile communication in Ireland is on average 6 times more expensive than in Latvia, notes the Financial Times.
To avoid abuse, operators are recommended to check how subscribers use communication abroad, paying attention to such aspects as insignificant use of communication on the "home" market with substantial roaming volumes; long periods of inactivity followed by card use primarily in roaming; sequential use of several SIM cards by one consumer in roaming.
In case of abuse, the operator must warn the user. After that, the company will be able to charge the violator a small additional fee for roaming. The European Commission suggests that it should not exceed 0.04 euros per minute of conversation, 0.01 euros per SMS, and 0.85 euros per 1MB of internet. In case of disagreements, subscribers can complain to the national regulator.