Meteor axes roaming fees for EU travel

MOBILE phone operator Meteor has abolished roaming charges for its customers travelling in the European Union.

From yesterday, Meteor customers will now pay the same for calls and texts while abroad in the EU, along with other destinations including Norway and Iceland, as they do here.

The firm claims its customers will now have a saving of up to 47% versus EU regulated rates and more than 60% over rivals Vodafone and O2.

Under the arrangement, prepay customers will only pay 29c per minute rate to make a call and a 12c text rate.

Billpay customers will pay 25c per minute to make a call and 10c per text.

The charges also apply to calls made and received in Norway and Iceland, both of which are outside the EU.

Meteor’s head of consumer marketing Bill Blake said: “This is another market changing move for Meteor, as we are the first Irish operator to abolish roaming charges in the EU.

“Our customers will no longer have to worry about paying more for calls and texts while in the EU, with the added benefit of being able to receive calls from family and friends for free.

“This reinforces our commitment to offer the best combination of innovation and value, just in time for the summer holiday period for our customers, who want to stay connected when abroad.”