European Union citizens won’t be subject to paying mobile roaming fees while traveling through Europe until at least 2032. European Union lawmakers this week extended the ban on mobile roaming fees until at least 2032.
Most phone tariffs, including calls, texts, and data used in EU countries as equivalent to domestic use since 2017.
While the regulation was due to end on July 1, the EU extended it for a decade. European consumers can continue avoiding most extra cellular fees when traveling within another of the 27 EU Member States. However, there are some new additions to the regulation, including a requirement that citizens have access to the same services abroad in the EU as at home when the same networks and technologies are available.
As noted by TechCrunch, the quality of service provision covers 5G. However, it does not guarantee the same mobile network speed when roaming. Operators are also required to inform their customers of the quality of services they can expect while roaming by stating this in the roaming contract and publishing information on their website.
Network providers are required to better inform customers about the types of services that can still incur additional costs when roaming. These services include calling customer service numbers, help desks, and insurance companies. Customers are entitled to receive an SMS text regarding any additional roaming charges.