Free roaming across the networks of Europe’s mobile phone providers is to be extended for ten years, until 2032. The requirement that EU phone customers not be charged more than at home went into effect in 2017.
The extension, agreed by the EU Council and Parliament, has also been approved by the European Commission, and will be binding on telecom operators in all 27 EU countries. Before 2017, users were faced with either high roaming charges or the need to buy a local SIM card.
One key improvement comes with the extension. Carriers will now also be required to provide users with the same speed and quality of data that they enjoy on their home systems. Under the original agreement, it was possible for roaming users to be held to slower speeds.
