The European Commission and Parliament had mutually decided June 2017 as the date to eliminate roaming charges within European Union (EU), according to a decision taken by lawmakers on Monday night.
Several talks were held on this regard. EU and Parliament had earlier agreed to end roaming charges by the end of this year. However, the representatives of EU member states in the council of EU suggested mid-2018.
From next April, a new limit will be imposed on the roaming fees. Currently, the roaming costs €0.19 per minute for calls, €0.06 per text messages and €0.20 per megabyte of data. From April, these charges will be revised to €0.05 per minute, €0.02 per text and €0.05 per megabyte relative to domestic costs.
Also, according to the new proposed law, service providers will be allowed to prevent “abusive use of roaming, including using roaming services for purposes other than periodic travel”. Network operators can also request the regulator to grant exceptions, designed to meet the needs of Nordic states where retail prices are low.
The proposed law is awaiting approval from the EU members and European parliament to become law.
