EU claims 60 percent reduction in roaming costs

According to a study carried out by the European Regulators Group, mobile roaming charges have fallen by up to 60 per cent since the European Commission introduced new regulations in the summer.

The regulations required mobile operators to introduce a cheaper ‘Eurotariff’, with rates not exceeding €0.40 per minute for calls made abroad or €0.24 per minute for received calls.

The research found that most regulators have complied with the new rules, with some operators offering even lower rates than those required and switching over to the new tariffs early.

By 30 August 2007 approximately 200 million consumers had switched to the Eurotariff, which is now the standard rate for roaming.

The European Commission expects 400 million EU consumers to be on the Eurotariff by the end of September.

The European Regulators Group comprises the 27 national telecom regulators and the European Commission.