On 30 April new rules on roaming and net neutrality enter into force. Calling, texting or surfing online from another Member States (roaming) will get cheaper. When travelling in the EU, mobile devices users will only pay a small amount on top of their domestic prices: up to €0.05 per minute of call made, €0.02 per SMS sent, and €0.05 per MB of data (excl. VAT). This will be a short transition period since as from mid-June 2017, Europeans will pay the same price whether they use their mobile devices at home or somewhere else in the EU.
Commission Vice-President Ansip, responsible for the Digital Single Market, said: "We're in the home stretch now before the end of roaming charges in 2017. This is not only about Europeans saving money, this is about bringing down barriers in the Digital Single Market". The rules entering into force tomorrow also set the principle of net neutrality rules for the first time in EU law. Commissioner Oettinger, in charge of the Digital Economy and Society, said: "These rules protect the right of every European to access the online content of their choice, without interference or discrimination. They will avoid fragmentation in the Single Market, creating legal certainty for businesses and making it easier for them to work across border". More information can be found in the factsheet, on the roaming webpage and on the net neutrality webpage.
