Roaming in the EU - New figures highlight continuing high costs - BEUC

17 February 2014
by BEUC -- last modified 17 February 2014

Following today's publication by the European Commission of its pan-EU household survey on telecoms roaming costs, Monique Goyens, Director General of The European Consumer Organisation commented:

"This Eurobarometer proves what consumers have long been saying - phone network roaming charges continue to be excessive. They are serving as a restraining leash on mobile internet usage in the EU. Roaming costs are a telecoms industry throwback to another era without a Single Market and they have long been unjustifiable on that basis.

"Almost 1 in 2 mobile internet users would 'never' use it in another EU country (47%). That's emphatic proof of consumers' restraint and caution being shown when it comes to the secret arithmetic of roaming charges. There are no winners in such a situation. Consumers are not getting the services they use when at home and providers are shooting themselves in the foot with high prices. Only 10% of Europeans would use email in another European country in the same way as at home, while a quarter switch off their device entirely.

"Telecoms represent some of the last remaining market borders in Europe. What networks must realise is that they are self-shackling their own market and consumers. There is a dormant market there, primed to take off if only prices are brought to fair levels. We are hopeful today's proof, combined with a European Parliament vote on the issue next week can copper fasten the deadline of 2015 for the eradication of roaming charges."

BEUC acts as the umbrella group in Brussels for its members and our main task is to represent them at European stage and defend the interests of all Europe's consumers.

BEUC, the European Consumers' Organisation