In what can be described as some good news, European mobile phone operators are being forced by the European Union to lower the amounts they charge for roaming within the EU area.
This year as well as the price of voice and text going down, Data prices will be going down
The new prices go into effect tomorrow on the 1st July 2013:
Service Summer 2012 Summer 2013 Internet browsing 70 cents 45 cents Making a call 29 cents/m 24 cents/m Receiving a call 8 cents/m 7 cents/m Sending a text 9 cents 8 cents Calls charges per minute. Internet pricing per megabyte. Prices in Euro-cents. Operators may impose different charges, but not above the prices listed
Data faces the biggest price cut, with prices slashed by a third – with other prices dropping by a few cents here and there.
As usual, before you roam, check you’re in the EU area. Countries out of European Union will be charged the higher rates that could be bad for your financial health (as I discovered once some moons ago… £150 for not a lot of voice and data… it was an expensive day when I lost my passport). Countries outside the EU but are in the area include Switzerland and Turkey – so be careful when travelling there.
However, Croatia will be joining the EU, and thus will be subject to the new pricing regimes.
As usual, check with your mobile provider before travelling. Some providers have roaming deals that may be better if you’re travelling often.
Those of you who are also visiting EU countries, and want to take advantage of these rates, the best advice is to pick up a local SIM Card or a cheap Pay As You Go phone. Activate it, and then take advantage of the controlled costs of voice, text and data….
[…] the European Economic Area, there are rules and regulations which govern the maximum cost of data, calls and texts, with prices caps that can be optionally lifted. However – beyond there – you are at […]