27 June 2013
27.06.2013
From 1 July 2013, all the operators that offer roaming services on the public mobile networks within the Union have the obligation to apply new tariff ceilings for the services provided to the users who use their phone while travelling in another EU member state. Thus, for an outgoing roaming call, the tariff charged will not exceed EUR 0.24/minute (excluding VAT), whereas for an incoming call, the subscribers will pay at most EUR 0.07/minute (excluding VAT). The tariff for sending a roaming SMS will not exceed EUR 0.08 (excluding VAT), while receiving a roaming SMS is cost-free. Moreover, the tariff for using data services (including access to the internet) will be EUR 0.45/MB (excluding VAT).
The new tariffs are in line with the provisions of (EU) Regulation no.531/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council on roaming on public mobile communications networks within the Union.
The operators will apply the new tariffs by default and free of charge for all the users who have activated their roaming service and use the basic tariff plans, i.e. those covered by the Eurotariffs for voice, SMS and data, without concluding additional subscriptions or charging other costs. These tariff plans could be combined with any other tariff plans available from the operators.
These maximum tariffs represent a ceiling that the operators must observe, while they could also make available further offers to their customers. The providers launch several commercial offers for the roaming service, at various tariffs, as well as special offers for the holiday period. Therefore, the users should analyse their provider’s offer before travelling, in order to choose the tariff plan that best suits their needs.
From 1 July 2012, when Regulation no. 531/2012 entered into force, those who use roaming mobile telephony and mobile internet services benefit from a series of advantages. In order to avoid the bill shock generated by using the data services during their journey outside the EU, a user receives warnings by SMS, e-mails or pop-up windows when the cost of the downloaded data nears or exceeds the default cut-off limit of EUR 50 or any other limit specified by the user. Moreover, at the entry in an EU Member State, a user will receive information (usually by SMS) regarding the applicable tariffs, both for voice and data services.
Further information on the usage and costs of the roaming service is available on the Authority’s website, here.