European Lawmakers Reach Deal to Extend Caps on Roaming Fees

European lawmakers agreed to extend the Continent’s system of retail price controls on mobile phone roaming charges for five years, and enacted the first price caps on mobile Internet fees that are paid by traveling smartphone users.

The new, lower price controls will serve as an extension of a cap on roaming fees for voice service and text messaging that have been in effect in the 27-nation European Union since 2007. They were approved as part of a broader package of reforms that are intended to fundamentally increase competition in the industry. The agreement is likely to give consumers the right to buy roaming services from any operator. The package, which requires approval from the European Parliament and Council of Ministers, was brokered by Neelie Kroes, the European commissioner responsible for telecommunications, a Dutch economist and Europe’s former competition commissioner. Leaders of both chambers of Parliament signed off on the package Wednesday, which virtually assures adoption of the measure in Brussels later this spring. Starting July 1, 2014, E.U. consumers will have the ability to buy roaming service from any operator, not just their regular carrier. On this day, European operators will be required to sell wholesale access to their networks to competitors and virtual operators who wish to sell roaming services.