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EU reveals mobile roaming charges |
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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 08 June 2007 |
The European Commission has set up a website to help people cut the high cost of using mobile phones abroad. 
The new site reveals tariffs of all mobile operators in the European Union's 25 member states. It also gives sample comparisons to illustrate the wide variation in charges between the different operators.
The Commission says the cost of using a mobile abroad "is hard to believe" and hopes that greater transparency will lead to lower charges. Last summer, consumers faced charges ranging from 0.58 euro cents to over 5 euros per minute.
Fairer pricing
By giving consumers more information, the Commission hopes the website will give allow mobile users to change their mobile habits and save money. Unless you have studied your Operator's roaming charges, you probably have little or no idea how much you will be charged when using your phone abroad.
Viviane Reding (information society and media commissioner) said
"The Commission aims to give the consumer the knowledge to make an informed choice, to enhance competition in the industry and to encourage fairer and clearer pricing."
The website will be updated every six months. It contains links to the full tariffs of every operator in the EU in addition to sample tarrifs.
The high cost of roaming charges has been examined by the Commission since 2000. It has already accused mobile phone companies in Germany and UK of charging excessive wholesale tariffs to other operators.
Since December, national telecom regulators in the EU have been working on ways of regulating the tariffs charged to retail customers.
Visit the site here
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 09 June 2007 )
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