EU ROAMING TARIFF NOW IN PLACE

10.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 4th Oct 2007

As of Sunday 30 September, all mobile phone users making or receiving calls abroad in the EU should benefit from the Eurotariff price ceilings introduced by the EU regulation on mobile roaming, which became law on 30 June.

As the transition period during which mobile operators must modify their prices and services to comply with the regulation drew to an end, local Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne has called on operators to comply fully with the regulation:

"Consumers should now able to make better informed decisions as to the use of their mobile phones while abroad -- and to choose the roaming tariff that best suits their needs."

From this week every customer, when entering another Member State, must automatically be informed, by SMS, of the roaming charges (including VAT) that apply when calling home -and when making and receiving calls within the country visited.

Providers must also offer a toll-free number to all their customers, to enable them to request more detailed and personalised pricing information on the roaming charges that apply to voice calls, SMS, MMS and other data communication services.

Liz continued:

"I would like to call on mobile operators to comply fully with the whole of the roaming Regulation and on the European Commission, working closely with the National Regulatory Authorities, to ensure its consistent enforcement throughout the Union."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

As of Sunday 30 September, all mobile phone users making or receiving calls abroad in the EU must benefit from the Eurotariff price ceilings introduced by the EU regulation on mobile roaming, which became law on 30 June.

Customers are still free to opt for special roaming offers. Sunday was the deadline for operators to comply with the price cap passed into law in May: €0.49 per minute, excluding VAT, for outgoing calls; €0.24 per minute for incoming.

Under the agreement brokered by the European Parliament, charges will be lowered further in 2008 and 2009.