Brussels open to reworking Kroes’ telecoms shake-up

Brussels has opened the door to reworking part of its ambitious plans to shake-up the European telecoms market to bring down costs for consumers who use phones outside their home market.

The move follows a realisation within Brussels that part of the draft proposals dealing with wholesale costs could undermine the profitability of mobile operators in their own markets. While the headline reforms for lowering so-called roaming costs for consumers will remain, European Commission officials have conceded that amendments were likely to be required and have agreed to listen to industry complaints. Chief executives of some of Europe’s biggest telecoms groups will meet Neelie Kroes, digital commissioner for the EU, to discuss the implications of the draft package.