The new roaming regulation will extend until 2032 the existing system under which citizens can not be charged extra charges for calls made or data used while traveling within the EU and will also bring new benefits.
Citizens will be able to make calls, send messages and use mobile data while traveling within the EU at no extra cost and with the same quality as they experience in their country of origin; they will have improved access to emergency communications wherever they are in Europe; they will be entitled to clear information when a roaming service may inadvertently charge extra. The regulation will enter into force on July 1, 2022.
Margaret Westeyer, Executive Vice President for a Europe Ready for the Digital Age, said: "As of 2017, we are benefiting from the abolition of roaming charges. And today we have ensured that we can maintain these benefits for another 10 years, so that we can stay connected and make calls, send messages and browse the internet at no extra cost when traveling in the EU. At the same time, this new regulation improves quality of roaming experience. "
Mr Thierry Breton, Commissioner for the Internal Market, said: "While we are on holiday in Greece, Austria or Bulgaria. While visiting our customers or suppliers in Italy or Estonia… Traveling abroad without having to worry about phone bills is a tangible component of the experience of all Europeans in the EU single market. continue, but we are upgrading it: better quality, better services, even greater transparency. "
New roaming regulation
ΣFollowing the Commission proposal for a new roaming regulation in February 2021, the new rules will extend the benefits of "domestic charge roaming" for travelers until 2032 and introduce additional benefits and Consumer protection:
Higher quality for consumers
Consumers will benefit during their travels from accessing roaming services of the same quality as when used in their country of origin. Consumers who typically have 5G in-house services will also be able to enjoy 5G services while roaming, where available. Operators, on the other hand, will be obliged to immediately inform their customers about the possibility that the quality of the roaming experience may be affected by specific factors.
Prevention of unexpectedly high charges
While traveling abroad, citizens may need to call customer service numbers, support offices or insurance companies. While these services are generally provided free of charge or with limited charges when calling from the country of origin, consumers are often charged extra costs and huge bills when calling from abroad. From now on, operators are required to duly inform their customers of these additional charges when they are abroad, so that they can make informed choices about the use of these services.
Travelers may encounter unexpectedly high bills when their phone is connected to non-terrestrial networks, for example if they are on a plane or a ship. The new regulation guarantees better information and automatic termination of these services when the cost of the account rises to 50 EUR or another predetermined limit. Operators will be able to offer additional services, such as the possibility of exemption from roaming on planes and ships.
Better information and access to emergency communications
Emergency communication is vital to saving lives. The new regulation ensures that citizens will have increased free access to emergency communications that will also provide the ability to locate the caller. Operators ensure that citizens are aware of the possibility of accessing emergency services through 112, the single European emergency number, and other alternative means of access, such as real-time text or available applications, for people with disabilities . By June 2023, operators will automatically notify their customers via text message of available alternative means of accessing emergency services.
Ensuring sustainability for operators: lower wholesale ceilings
The new roaming regulation sets lower wholesale charges. These are costs incurred by mobile operators in the host country, in exchange for access to their respective networks, ensuring that hosted mobile operators and their customers benefit from roaming services abroad.
Wholesale ceilings are set at levels that ensure that operators can afford and recover the cost of providing roaming services to consumers at domestic prices.
For data services, the new regulation sets the following wholesale ceilings:
2 € / GB in 2022, 1,8 € / GB in 2023, 1,55 € / GB in 2024, 1,3 € / GB in 2025, 1,1 € / GB in 2026 and 1 EUR / GB from 2027 and then.
For voice calls: 0,022 € / min during the period 2022-2024 and 0,019 € / min from 2025 onwards.
For SMS: € 0,004 / SMS during the period 2022-2024 and € 0,003 / SMS from 2025 onwards.
Lower wholesale charges are to the benefit of consumers, as they are expected to ensure that all operators will be able to offer competitive roaming subscriptions under the "domestic charge" principle.
Next steps
The rules will enter into force on 1 July 2022, in order to ensure the timely continuation of the benefits of "roaming at home" for citizens.
The Commission should also evaluate measures for intra-EU communications (calls and SMS from the country of origin to another Member State) and determine whether and to what extent there is a continuing need to reduce consumer protection ceilings.
record
Free roaming in the EU was introduced in 2017. Since then, Europeans have been making more calls, texting and browsing the internet more when traveling abroad within the EU. However, there was room for improvement. In the last Eurobarometer of February 2021, 33% of respondents who traveled abroad had slower mobile internet speeds than usual in their home country, and 28% had a lower network standard abroad (ie 3G instead of 4G). In addition, a study conducted by the Joint Research Center found that 25% of customers had at least one time lower quality roaming services compared to their country of origin, even when network conditions could have provided better quality.
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