Members of the European Parliament have successfully voted to abolish all roaming charges from telcos within the European Union. While this doesn’t quite affect citizens from outside the EU, it sets a precedent for other economic unions; and indirectly makes it cheaper to holiday in Europe.
The vote brings years of discussions with European telecommunication companies to an end, and will see roaming charges completely dropped in 2017. Essentially, Europeans will only have to pay the same for voice, data, and text charges as they would in their home country; preventing the traditional roaming bill shock that happens when one travels overseas.
Former vice-president of the European Commission and rapporteur for the Trade in Services Agreement, Viviane Reding said, “after 10 years of tireless fight, roaming is over. A victory for consumers and a stepping stone towards a truly European digital single market.”
It is unknown if this new ruling will also apply to visitors from other countries who buy European SIM cards to save on roaming charges. However, it should be noted that not all European countries are part of the EU; and anyone planning on using the new regulations to their advantage should keep that in mind.
[Source: The Guardian]
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