About: mobile roaming
Europe needs ambitious roaming
EU lawmakers must stay ambitious about roaming, and that means keeping caps as low as possible, writes Miapetra Kumpula-Natri.
EU caps price of international phone calls in landmark telecoms overhaul
Lawmakers agreed to cap the price of phone calls and SMS messages between EU countries and sealed a deal to encourage investment in fast internet networks during a late-night meeting on Wednesday (6 June).
Gabriel to present plan in May to slash mobile roaming fees with Western Balkans
Mariya Gabriel, the European Commissioner in charge of digital policies, will announce a plan to get rid of mobile fees between the EU and Western Balkan countries at a May 2018 summit in Bulgaria.
Pilar del Castillo: With changed rules, EU telecoms bill ‘can really boost investment’
Pilar del Castillo, the Spanish centre-right MEP leading negotiations on the EU's new telecoms bill, defends in an interview the European Parliament’s agreement on telecoms competition.
MEPs approve softened telecoms investment rules, price cap on international calls
MEPs in the European Parliament’s Industry Committee (ITRE) approved a sweeping telecoms bill on Monday (2 October) that watered down an EU proposal to spur network investment and added a controversial price cap on calls between member states.
Europeans used phones more during first summer without roaming fees
The European Commission is claiming another victory after the first summer without mobile roaming fees inside the EU resulted in a surge of call and data use by travellers, according to a new Eurobarometer survey.
MEPs want to lower prices for international phone calls
MEPs want to put a price cap on calls and text messages from one EU country to another, arguing those rates are outrageously high for many consumers.
Tweets of the Week: Roaming, Parliament plenary, and Erasmus
This week we look at the end of roaming, the European Parliament plenary, and Erasmus turning 30.
Mobile roaming fees disappear, but MEPs want more EU rules
European mobile phone contracts are required to charge domestic rates for calls, SMS and data use when users travel in the EU starting today (15 June), capping off a ten-year fight to get rid of roaming fees.
The Brief, powered by Eni: EU wants us out of the roam zone
Hats off to the European Commission for squeezing two crowd-pleasing stories into one week. Just yesterday, Jean-Claude Juncker celebrated the 1 million 'Erasmus babies' (TMI, really) during a celebration of the programme. Tomorrow the EU wants to score again when it gets rid of mobile roaming fees within Europe.
‘Goodbye roaming’: EU clears final hurdle to end mobile charges abroad
The European Union clinched a preliminary deal early on Wednesday (31 January) to cap wholesale charges telecom operators pay each other when their customers use their mobile phones abroad, paving the way for the abolition of roaming fees in June.
Ansip: Abolishing mobile roaming charges tests the EU’s credibility
The European Union's digital chief Andrus Ansip said that failure to solve the last remaining barrier to abolishing mobile roaming charges across the bloc in June would lead people to question its ability to deliver on promises.
Ministers agree on ‘sustainably’ ending roaming charges
The Council agreed on a solution to end roaming fees in 2017, while lessening the impact on mobile operators. But consumer organisations warned against operators hiking domestic prices as compensation.
EU considers concession to telecom firms to end roaming charges
Mobile telecoms operators across Europe could be allowed to charge each other higher fees for keeping customers connected when they travel abroad, under a Spanish proposal to help firms recoup their costs when roaming charges are abolished.
The Brief: Interrail giveaway smacks of desperation
The ancient Romans used bread and circuses to stop their citizens rising in revolt. The European Union uses cheap phone bills and free holidays.
After botched first attempt, Commission proposes new roaming bill with no time limit
In a bid to save face after a wave of outrage following a botched first attempt earlier this month, the European Commission proposed a new bill today (22 September) to get rid of mobile roaming charges by next year.
Free Wi-Fi in cities? ‘We panicked for five minutes. Then we realised it’s not serious’
Telecoms companies were as surprised as anyone when Jean-Claude Juncker announced Wednesday (14 September) that the European Commission wants every city and village in the EU to have free public Wi-Fi in some places by 2020.
New telecoms rules: bringing Europe’s internet up to speed?
The European Commission proposed changes to laws governing telecoms service in September 2016 that will affect how people use the internet and phones around the EU. There’s a lot at stake for consumers, former state-owned monopolies and emerging service providers: the...
Commission asked to fund cross-border tests of driverless cars
Telecoms operators and car manufacturers have asked the European Commission to put money into a major, four-year project running driverless cars between EU member states, in the first test of the new technology between more than one country.
Commission’s digital single market turns one and has a big seven months ahead
The European Commission's digital single market strategy turns one year old today. With seven months left in the 16-point policy plan, the executive has only scratched the surface.
Parliament green lights roaming and net neutrality
MEPs voted yesterday (27 October) against amendments to the telecoms single market legislation, passing the new law without last minute changes lodged against its measures on net neutrality.
Brexit won’t affect roaming charges, vows UK government
British consumers can rest assured they'll benefit from EU plans to drop roaming charges in 2017—regardless of the outcome of the UK referendum on EU membership, a British official told a concerned House of Lords committee yesterday (7 September).
Europe split on abolition of mobile roaming charges
The European Union's ambition to end mobile roaming charges for citizens travelling across the continent is being stymied by member states backing their national operators, officials say.