Cost of Using Mobile Internet in EU to be Halved

The cost of using your smartphone or tablet abroad is about to go down, thanks to a new initiative by the EU. But are users still being overcharged by mobile operators when they travel?

“Bill shock” has become a common phrase in recent years, coined to describe what unsuspecting travellers experience when they return from overseas and take a look at their phone bill.

Now, the EU has taken new measures to help reduce the cost to consumers of using their mobiles and other internet-enabled devices overseas.

Under the new plans, the cost for accessing the internet on a mobile device within the EU will be more than halved. Data costs will fall from an average of £1.80 per megabyte today to no more than 81p by July 2012. This will then halve again by 2014 to around 40p.

This is great news for smartphone and tablet users as many of the functions of these devices – like email – rely on a 3G data connection.

But data charges aren’t the only things being cut. To make calls, charges are to be limited to 32p per minute (excluding VAT), down from 35p. Receiving calls will cost a maximum of 10p and the maximum for a text will remain at 10p.

The changes bring the EU a step closer to its goal of eliminating the difference between mobile charges at home and elsewhere in the EU entirely by 2015.

Moneyhighstreet comments: “With consumers being hit by increased taxes and insurance costs, this is welcome news. But just because prices are falling doesn’t mean they’re not still expensive.

“Be sure to check with your operator what their rates are before you travel. You can also find out at what point they will warn you about your data and call use, and whether they have any automatic caps in place to prevent overspending. This can help you budget the use of your phone or tablet accordingly.

“You can also take advantage of modern smartphone features to switch off your phone’s data connections without actually turning off the handset. This way you can still perform tasks on your phone without worrying that it will be using data without your knowledge.”