Mobile users set for free roaming after ruling

MOBILE phone users are in line for zero charges for roaming in the EU after four of the largest telecommunications companies lost their case in the European Court of Justice.

The companies, Vodafone, O2, T-Mobile and Orange, wanted legislation that forced them to slash roaming charges by up to 70% overturned, claiming the commission exceeded its power.

But the court found they were well within their rights to insist that they gradually decrease their charges for making and receiving phone calls and text messages when their customers were in another EU state.

The costs are to be reduced again on July 1, falling to 39 cents for making a call when abroad and 15 cents for receiving a call, before VAT is added.

On average, this will mean a drop of 13 cents on making a call from Italy to Ireland by an Irish mobile phone customer, for instance, and 8 cents for receiving a call. All operators will have to let their customers know when they reach a €50 cost for uploading or downloading data to prevent them racking up massive bills.

But the ultimate aim is to cut out all roaming costs, the European Commission has said.

By 2015 they want the situation to be similar to that in the US where using your mobile in any member state does not cost a cent more than using it at home.

“Consumers need to benefit from the single market,” said a commission spokesperson yesterday when the court ruling was revealed.

MEP Sean Kelly, welcoming the decision, said the ruling copper-fastened the EU’s cap on mobile roaming charges.

“The court has shown that when the EU moves to protect the consumer it will back it up. We were all at the mercy of these companies when we travelled abroad, but now action by the EU has put a stop to this,” he said.

He said he was delighted that the commission is further reducing the costs of using a mobile phone for consumers in time for the summer holidays.

“The quicker we get to the stage where we have a single EU mobile market and no roaming charges at all, the better,” he added.

The first cap was introduced at the end of June 2007 and saw prices drop dramatically across the EU. Caps were later placed on SMS and now data is to be regulated.