Roaming in Europe to get cheaper

[Nabs]

The EU have ruled again, this time to scrap roaming charges altogether!

Not happening for a couple years but looks like until the big change it's going to get gradually cheaper.

More info at http://www.androidauthority.com/eu-scraps-roaming-costs-621350/

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi

I'm sure their will be quite a few saying about time too.

Especially as some networks actively offer better competitive roaming rates.

[jeffkinn]

Very good news indeed. 

[drey_p]

---

@Nabs wrote:

The EU have ruled again, this time to scrap roaming charges altogether!

---

That is really exciting news for us as consumers.  There were rumblings about that a year or so ago but it didn't look like it was going to get the green light. 

From a different perspective, if the EU are reducing a revenue stream for the networks, what is going to now be charged for to make up for that loss in revenue...?

[jeffkinn]

The networks in their medium term budgets would have already factored this into their pricing matrix over the next five years or so.

[drey_p]

---

@jeffkinn wrote:

The networks in their medium term budgets would have already factored this into their pricing matrix over the next five years or so.

---

Oh okay - didn't realise that!  Do you not think that this could result in the prices of other things going up to compensate for the revenue loss?

[jeffkinn]

There will be two sides to this. They'll be getting less revenue from customers but don't foget they'll be paying less or nothing to the overseas networks via whatever cross charging mechanism now exists. I have no idea what the net effect will be on a UK network but it's likely to be relatively marginal over time given that we have a lot of European visitors to the UK and a lot of Brits go to Europe.

[Nabs]

To be honest I always got the feeling this was where the markets would be heading on their own anyway. I think the EU may have accelerated that by a few years but ultimately the end result will be the same.

For the likes of Vodafone who have a networks in most of europes anyway I don't think it will make much of a financial impact, Vodafone UK paying to use the network of Vodafone 'Other' never made much sense. They may lose out from other networks paying to use VF networks but as @jeffkinn it will likely ballance out.

[63johnw]

I take it this just means it will be cheaper to roam in Europe? it wont be us using our current data etc without any extra charge? The vodafone euro traveller will remain?

It would be nice if there were no extra costs in using your phone in Europe (as at least one network does now with some countries).

[ewanrw]

Considering they initially planned to scrap EU roaming by December 2015 it's not exactly good news. Always thought it was a little ambitious tho'.

And remember, with the looming EU referendum the UK may have left the EU by June 2017.

ewan