As from 1st March 2010, European mobile phone operators are obliged to offer their customers a free facility which, after a warning, will block the mobile Internet access service while used in roaming when a specific financial limit is reached (expressed in traffic volume or in euros). This obligation results from new European rules on roaming (Regulation No. 544/2009 of 18 June).
To this end, providers of the Internet service in roaming are obliged to offer an application to their customers which automatically cuts off the connection when a monthly limit of 50 euros is reached, although operators can offer their customers other options. Customers will receive a warning message once 80 per cent of the chosen is limit is reached. From 1 July, the operator shall activate the cut-off mechanism as soon as the 50 euro limit is reached, except where the customer has chosen another limit offered by the service provider or where the customer has opted not to use this automatic cut-off feature.
It should also be noted that according to the Roaming Regulation, the price that operators pay each other per megabyte (MB) downloaded has been capped at 1 euro per MB, a value which is set to fall over the next two years. The EC considers that these savings should be passed on to consumers and deliver lower prices for surfing the Internet while abroad.
Meanwhile the European Commission has announced that it will analyse the functioning of the roaming Regulation, including the provisions on data roaming, in an interim report due in June 2010 and in a more extensive review in June 2011. Before adopting the interim report of June 2010, the EC plans to hear all interested parties, scheduling a workshop for 24 March in Brussels for which registrations remain open until 10 March.
Further information:
- Telecoms: mobile phone customers entitled to protection from data-roaming "bill shock" as from 1 st March 2010 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/215&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
- Roaming Workshop - 24 March 2010 http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/roaming/workshop/index_en.htm
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- Mobile Internet access provided in roaming subject to new rules https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1014821
