Politicians have labelled the move “the end of roaming charges”, although operators will still be able to charge customers they think are abusing the system by permanently roaming, using a SIM card from a low-priced country while living in a higher-cost country.
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Parliamentarian Julia Reda, of the Pirate Party, said that the changes to roaming did not deliver as they’re dependant on a review that is scheduled to be completed by June 2017.
European Commission vice president Andrus Ansip said: “The voice of Europeans has been heard”.
As the name suggests, the Telecoms Single Market legislation is meant to establish a single telecommunications market for all of Europe.
Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder, who supported the ban, said it was a “massive win” for British tourists and businesses and shows what can be done when the United Kingdom takes an active role in the European parliament.
However, four proposed amendments that would close various loopholes all failed, much to the disappointment of net neutrality experts and activists.
The abolishment of mobile phone roaming charges will definitely affect revenue streams of operators.
The European Union already has already capped roaming charges but no such limits apply elsewhere in the world where they can result in holidaymakers facing bills that might cost them even more than their holidays themselves, according to campaigners.
But while the ban in theory sounds like great news for anyone with a mobile phone who likes to travel, critics have issued warnings.
The new legislation allows the creation of internet fast lanes for specialized services and also allows zero-rated products for apps and services that do not add up to the monthly data packages.
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All online content should in theory now be treated indiscriminately by internet service providers, with a blog post by Günther H. Oettinger, EU Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, saying that the vote had “guarantee(d) an open Internet”. Members of the European Parliament first voted to place caps on roaming charges in 2007 in order to prevent phone users from running up extortionate bills when overseas. “It also ensures that we will not have a two-speed internet”, Pilar del Castillo said.
