The European Union slashed data roaming charges by over 50 percent, aiming to encourage more mobile phone usage.
European leaders have been making changes in the recent years to bring down the price of data roaming charges since 2007, with Internet charges now lower by 80 percent compared to seven years ago.
The leaders are looking to eliminate charges completely within months. But for now, the 50 percent drop in data roaming charges, along with price slashes in calls and text messaging rates, comes just in time for the summer season.
"This huge drop in data roaming prices will make a big difference to all of us this summer," said EU telecommunications commissioner Neelie Kroes.
Kroes is also hoping to completely remove all charges on roaming, calls and text messages by the end of year across all 28 countries in the European Union. However, all governments in the European Union would have to agree first to proposals by the European Commission that looks to overhaul the telecommunications market.
The issue lies not in user-friendly initiatives such as the elimination of fees, where all member states are in broad agreement, but in the sale of mobile licenses, which some agreements still will not allow.
The drop in roaming charges comes at an opportune time for the European Commission to be seen as helping the 500 million consumers in the European Union, as anti-EU sentiments continue to gather strength in many nations.
The new rates will charge users 3 pence per 1MB of data roaming in Europe, as compared to a fee of about anywhere else. The maximum charge for outgoing calls will be pegged at 15 pence (around 19 cents) excluding VAT, 4 pence (around 6 cents) for text messages and 15 pence (around 20 cents) for every 1MB data downloaded.
The much lower rates will be greatly welcomed by tourists, as there have been countless nightmare stories on data roaming charges that have reached well into thousands of dollars.
"We are so accustomed to using our phones every day for entertainment, keeping up to date with news, and staying connected with friends: everyday apps we take for granted in the UK, if used in the same way abroad, can rack up unexpected bills that can exceed the actual cost of a holiday," said Endsleigh Insurance Gadget Sector Manager Sarah Newell.
"Limit the damage by making the most of free Wi-Fi at hotels and cafes and keep data roaming switched off," advised uSwitch technology expert Ernest Doku.
