The European Commission has officially confirmed that planned time limits for those looking to benefit from free roaming charges when overseas have been scrapped.
Roaming charges are to be abolished next summer, with domestic pricing being in place when people are visiting another country within the European Union.
It should bring to an end the days of people heading overseas to the likes of Spain or Italy only to be greeted on their return with a mobile phone bill running into three, and sometimes four, figures for roaming.
Initial details revealed earlier this month suggested that the abolishment of roaming charges would only be for a limited time – with a limit of 90 days a year or 30 consecutive days before mobile phone providers were allowed to increase the charges in place.
The suggestion of a limit was largely to prevent people from signing up to more favourable tariffs with an overseas provider to then benefit from cheaper calls back home.
However the Commission quickly backtracked on the proposals at the request of European Commission chief Jean-Claude Junker, with further talks required before a final decision as made.
Following those talks, the Commission has now confirmed that there ‘should be no limits in terms of timing or volume imposed on consumers when using their mobile devices abroad in the EU’.
Safeguards will be put in place to ensure the system isn’t abused by customers, with operators able to check usage patterns to check things like how much a sim card is being used in its domestic market compared to overseas, and multiple use of sim cards whilst roaming by the same user.
If such circumstances do arise, operators will be allowed to add a small surcharge although customers will retain a right to appeal.
"Parliament and Council agreed on our proposal to end roaming charges for travellers in the EU,” Andrus Ansip, Vice-President for the Digital Single Market, said. “Together we need to ensure low prices for users all across Europe, to make full use of new mobile services. European consumers would not accept it otherwise."
Final rules will now be set in December following feedback from all interested parties.