EC cuts text roaming prices 60pc

September 23, 2009

EU roamers to pay 11c per SMS compared with current average price of 29c

The European Commission has today proposed to reduce the price of roaming text messages by 60 per cent as of July 1, 2009.

The EC has decreed that EU roamers should pay no more than €0.11 (9p) per SMS compared with the current EU average of €0.29.

It said it also wants to improve transparency for surfing the web and downloading data on a mobile phone while abroad.

The proposals will now be submitted to the European Parliament and Council for approval before they become law.

Conservative industry spokesman in the European Parliament Giles Chichester said he was disappointed that the EU’s voice roaming price cap introduced last year had not encouraged the industry to bring down data and text message roaming independently of EC influence.

Chichester said” "We had hoped the previous price cap would make the industry see the light and take action to avoid further intervention from the EU. More regulation in this field should be the last resort, and the commission must make the case for the necessity of extending the limit.”