TELECOMMUNICATION: From this Saturday, to call, send an SMS or browse the internet on your mobile in another EU country will cost less …

Good news for the citizens asked to use their mobile in another member country of the European Union. From this Saturday, this use will return them significantly cheaper. Explanations.

Roaming fee that is lower …

Europe is a territory without borders, except for the cell phone. If you make a call, receive a text message or check the Internet from your mobile to another country of the European Union, you could feel it on your phone bill. Because of “roaming charges”, you are charged. But on Saturday, these costs will decrease, they are now capped at 5 cents per minute per call made, 2 cents per SMS sent and 5 cents per megabit of mobile data, excluding VAT.

… But we must remain vigilant …

Certainly roaming charges decrease. But the 5 cents per megabit can still add up, for example, if you use 2GB in another EU country, it will still add 100 euros onto your monthly bill. If you want to put use your mobile or tablet to watch the latest episode of Game of Thrones during a stay in Vienna or London, then choose wifi. As recalled by Socialist MEP Marc Tarabella, “The most difficult part to negotiate with telephone operators, in connection with the disappearance of roaming, is undoubtedly the cost of data exchanges, a big source of spending among European consumers. ”

… And expect 2017 to not pay anything …

As of June 17, 2017, you can call, or text on your mobile or tablet from any EU country without spending one euro more. That date will mark the disappearance indeed roaming charges. It was voted by MEPs in October 2015 after a long battle. As Antoine Autier, in charge of New Technologies in association UFC-Que Choisir, recently explained, “The European Commission pledged in 2010 to gradually eliminate roaming charges, but she made a retreat. Thankfully, MEPs have reiterated its commitments. ”

Before … (maybe) hope to pay less

Andrus Ansip, European Commissioner for the digital market, welcomed on Friday: “We are in the final stretch before the end roaming charges in 2017. It is not only savings to Europeans but also to break down barriers to a single digital market . “One also expects changes the European Consumers Organisation (BEUC) because it could bring more competition and thus lower prices for citizens. But she knows that the fight will be difficult and “urges” now “the European Commission to publish ambitious proposals to reform the prices that phone operators pay each other for cross-border calls and data usage” .

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