EU reaches agreement on gradual reduction of roaming prices

Today, the Committee of Permanent Representatives in Brussels confirmed the agreement on roaming price regulation on the EU internal market negotiated by the Czech Presidency with the European Parliament and the Commission.

The adoption of the revised Regulation on roaming in public mobile networks will cap the prices of calls made or received and of data services. The final agreement has been formulated very carefully so as to protect the interests of both consumers and the telecommunications industry.

Wholesale data roaming prices are to drop within two years from EUR 1 per 1 MB of data in 2009 to EUR 0.50 per 1 MB in 2011. Retail prices for calls made abroad will gradually fall from EUR 0.43 in 2009 to EUR 0.35 in 2011, and the retail prices for calls received abroad with drop from EUR 0.19 to EUR 0.11. Wholesale prices of calls will drop, too – from EUR 0.23 this year to EUR 0.18 in 2011. As of 1 July, the Roaming Regulation will newly regulate the prices charged for text messages. Customers who send a text message from abroad will pay EUR 0.11, with the wholesale price of the message amounting to EUR 0.04. These prices will remain fixed for as long as the Regulation remains valid.