Capped roaming charges will benefit mobile customers

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<div class="rxbodyfield" xmlns:o="urn:www.microsoft.com/office" xmlns:st1="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags" xmlns:st2="urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags2" xmlns:w="urn:www.microsoft.com/word" xmlns:x="urn:www.microsoft.com/excel"><p>At some point, all jet-setting mobile phone customers will have been stung by an international roaming charge for using their mobile abroad, but plans to be implemented by the EU could put an end to extortionate calling prices elsewhere in Europe.</p><p>Viviane Reding, the EU information society commissioner, led a majority group of EU representatives in a call for a cap of the prices of international calls to ensure that lower wholesale prices filter through to consumers straight away.</p><p>Under Ms Reding&#39;s proposals, an enforced cut of up to 70% in tariffs could be in place in time for next year&#39;s summer holidays.</p><p>According to a European Commission study, excessively high roaming charges affect at least 37 million EU tourists. Ms Reding&#39;s scheme would see calls to other countries within Europe capped at 34 pence per minute, with the cost of local calls made abroad topped at 23 pence per minute.</p><p>The ideas were not universally accepted however, with Britain&#39;s Margaret Hodge, the industry minister, stating that implementing Ms Reding&#39;s proposals would cost mobile phone companies a significant amount of money.</p><p>She instead argued for a six-month period of grace for mobile firms to come up with voluntary cut-price packages before the EU set mandatory limits. </p><p>This was blasted by Sharon Bowles, a Liberal Democrat MEP, who said: &quot;Mobile phone users are paying through the nose for roaming charges. The government made a lot of money out of selling off their licences.&quot;</p><p>According to the Times, consumers currently pay around four times more for roaming calls made from European countries other than their own, a market worth &#163;5.7 billion for the mobile companies. Consumer should compare mobile phone tariffs to make sure they&#39;re receiving the best deal.</p><p>What tariff should you choose? Pay As You Go or contract? <a href="http://www.uswitch.com/Mobiles/Tariffs-Simplified.html">Find the best tariff for your budget. uSwitch.com can search available deals and find the one best suited to you. <a href="http://www.uswitch.com/Mobiles/index.aspx?">Compare mobile deals and switch online for free</a>.</p><p><a href="http://www.adfero.co.uk" target="_blank"><img alt="track" src="http://feeds.directnews.co.uk/feedtrack/dn.gif?feedid=362&amp;itemid=18065021" style="border:0 0 0" />&#169; Adfero Ltd</a></a></p></div>