European Roaming Charges Reduced

Great news for mobile phone users travelling to Europe. As of the 1st of July 2011, it’ll be cheaper to roam.

The costs of using your mobile hone abroad have always been high, but the good news for consumers is that prices have been steadily dropping. New European Union rulings that come into effect today mean that will make it much cheaper to speak, text and surf whilst overseas.

• Phone calls will be capped at 32p a minute
• Receiving a call will cost 10p whilst roaming
• A text will cost no more than 10p to send, and remain free to receive
• Data roaming costs will drop too, to a maximum of around £1 a megabyte, with limits imposed to stop you spending over £45 whilst data roaming, unless you request otherwise

The changes affect roaming in all EU member states, and prices are set to all even further over the coming years. Roaming charges are now around 75% lower than they were six years ago.

Data charges are still pretty steep, and many still suffer from bill shock after realising that their mobile phone has been quietly sending and receiving data whilst you’re away. For some tips on keeping your data roaming costs to a minimum, see our Mobile Internet Abroad page.

Got any tips of how to keep your costs down when you’re roaming? Let us know in the comments below