EU kills roaming charges in Europe from June 2017

EU kills roaming charges in Europe from June 2017

MEPs have voted to finally kill roaming charges in the European Union from June 2017, bringing an end to the sky-high costs that can be incurred when using your phone abroad.

You won't have to wait until June 15 2017 to feel the benefits of today's vote though, as the politicians have also voted for significant cuts from April 2016. These include 3p per minute calls, 1p text messages and a 3p per MB data charge, although those prices do exclude VAT.

When the roaming charges are abolished completely in 2017 you'll only pay your operator's rate for calls, texts and internet usage, without the surcharges we've had to suffer for years.

Bring your bundle abroad

Any monthly allowances you may get as part of your tariff will also be available when rolling your way around the continent.

This will also put an end to holiday 'bill shock', and the horror stories we see in the news of unsuspecting holiday makers returning home to bills running into thousands of pounds.

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.