Roaming charges down again in time for summer holidays - Duff

Last night, Euro-MPs and EU Member States achieved a breakthrough in their talks to reduce the costs of using mobile phones abroad.

Business travellers and holidaymakers alike will benefit in particular from a cap on data roaming which from July this year will be limited to 70 cents (around 60p) and fall to 20 cents per MB (around 17p) in 2014. Until now there has been no cap on the cost for using mobile internet options while abroad, causing bill shock misery for many on their return home.

The cost of making a call using a mobile phone abroad will be capped at 29 cents a minute (24p) this July and fall to 19 cents (16p) in 2014. Texting abroad will be cut to 9 cents (7p) this year and 6 cents (5p) in 2014.

Andrew Duff, Liberal Democrat Euro MP for the East of England, said:

"This is another important step towards ending rip off charges for mobile phone usage abroad.

"Holidaymakers and Business people heading to the rest of the EU for pleasure or business will be able to use their phone without fearing an unexpectedly large bill."

The following price caps have been agreed last night between representatives of the European Parliament and EU Member States. The deal still needs to be finally adopted by the European Parliament (probably during its May plenary session) before it can come into force on 1st July 2012.