EU sets to scrap roaming charges to use mobile phones

No more hefty bills to contend with

From next week holiday goers will no longer be hit with hefty phone bills, thanks to an EU law change on roaming charges.

Roaming charges will be abolished across Europe so users will no longer have to worry about how much making calls, sending texts and internet usage will cost them when abroad.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new law change, including what will happen once we leave the EU.

What are the changes?

From Thursday, June 15 roaming charges will be abolished across Europe saving millions of Brits from paying higher rates when making calls, sending texts and using the internet on their mobile phones when abroad.

This mean you won’t have to pay any more than you would do in the UK.

You will also be able to call and text anyone in the EU at your normal UK rate. So if your friends and family are away they can call you and it won’t incur extra costs.

Will Brexit affect the new law changes?

The country is expected to exit Europe by 2019 and it seems likely UK users will only benefit from the new law changes until then.

After that it will be up to the Government to strike a deal to prevent customers from facing steep phone bills when travelling in the EU.

Leading price comparison site uSwitch said: “In the longer term, though, there is a chance that the cost of EU roaming could rise.

“In the event that the UK formally leaves the EU within the two-year time frame it’s obliged to comply with, it’s possible that the existing caps on roaming charges will no longer apply. The result is that Britons could be paying much more for roaming.

“Whether that happens depends on if the government decides to enforce the current capped prices for roaming with new legislation. If the government chooses not to do so, UK networks could theoretically hike roaming charges in the EU.”

What happens to roaming charges outside of the EU?

The Government has announced that it plans to add VAT to roaming charges outside of the EU. This means it could cost users 20% more to call, text and use the internet.

It is not yet clear, nor has it been confirmed, if these plans will materialise.