The European Union passed rules five years ago that ended mobile roaming fees for citizens traveling with their devices. European consumers will still be able to avoid most extra fees when travelling within the 27 EU Member States until at least 2032.
There is a requirement that consumers have access to the same services abroad in the EU as at home when the same networks and technologies are available on the network in the visited Member State.
A roaming customer who can use 5G services at home should also have 5G roaming services in the Member State where they are available.
The Commission says the new rules aim to ensure that when similar quality or speeds are available in the visiting network, the domestic operator should ensure the same quality.
In order to inform their customers of the quality of services they can expect while roaming, operators need to state this in the contract and on their website.
Quality of service will be more important as 5G rolls out and mobile network technology continues to evolve, according to the Commission.
It suggests that it will become more and more important for consumers travelling abroad to know if they can use certain applications and services with limited network quality. The new roaming rules aim to enable innovation and business development, ensure the widest use of innovative services and minimize the risk that citizens would not be able to use certain applications requiring the latest network technology, such as 5G.
The EU's executive frames the updated roaming regulation as a boon to digital innovation since consumers can continuously use their apps and services as they travel across borders in the EU.
The UK ceased to be an EU Member on January 31, 2020 and where, since the EU roaming regulation ceased to apply, most of the big carriers have quietly left the country.
UK mobile users are likely to have been aware of the return of roaming fees when travelling to Europe.
The EU's commissioner for the internal market commented on the extension of fee-free roaming inside the EU, saying "Remember when we had to switch off mobile data when travelling in Europe." This is history, right? We plan to keep it this way for the next 10 years. EU citizens' lives are improved by better speed, more transparency.
Increasing transparency about the types of services that can still bring additional costs when roaming is a focus of the EU's updated regulation.
Consumers who are roaming should receive an alert from the Commission about the possible increased charges.
It suggests that operators may include information about the types of services that may be subject to higher charges in roaming in their contracts.
The updated rules aim to improve the provision of information about and access to emergency communications across the EU.
It should be easy to dial the emergency numbers and transmit the location of the caller while on the go. The Commission says that citizens who can't place a call to 112 should be able to access emergency services through alternative means.
Emergency services can be accessed through calls and alternative means of communication in case of cross border use. It will ensure that the transmission of caller location will be free of charge.
The EU regulates wholesale caps, which are the maximum prices a visited operator may charge for the use of its network by another operator in order to provide roaming services. Wholesale caps should be further reduced, according to the review.
It notes that the co-legislators agreed on a gradual reduction of the caps. The caps reflect decreasing operators' wholesale costs of providing roaming services.
The commission expects these wholesale cost reductions to lead to benefits for consumers, such as more generous data allowances, and less likelihood of consumers having to pay surcharges for data usage that exceeds contract allowances.
If a person moves to another EU country, it will be better for them to move to a local contract as permanent roaming is no longer considered fair use.
Europe mostly ends mobile roaming fees from today
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