On 27 October 2015, the European Parliament approved a Regulation determining the end of roaming tariffs within the European Union and determining open Internet access.
Roaming tariffs will be first cut (on 30 April 2016) and then definitely discontinued as from 15 June 2017. However, to prevent misuse, providers of roaming services may apply a "fair usage policy". The European Commission will define fair usage limits by 15 December 2016, after consulting the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC).
Open Internet access determines that all traffic is treated equally by operators when delivering Internet access services, limiting situations where access to content, services or applications is blocked or restricted.
Under the new Regulation, Internet service providers will also have to inform consumers about the actual speed they can offer, whereas any significant difference between actual performance and the performance indicated in the contract may be considered non-performance.
The Regulation adopted by the European Parliament enters into force following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, which should take place in November 2015
Further information:
- Regulation (EU) 2015/... of the European Parliament and of the Council - 10788/2/15 (REV 2) http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-10788-2015-REV-2/en/pdf
- End in sight for mobile phone ''roaming'' fees and unequal internet access http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20151022IPR98802/html/Telecomunica%C3%A7%C3%B5es-PE-aprova-fim-das-tarifas-de-roaming-e-neutralidade-da-rede
