The European Parliament will vote today on new regulation on roaming, including price ceilings for calls and data roaming. The vote follows a first-reading agreement by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers on 28 March.
But international SIM card provider GOSIM.com cautions that, while a ‘Yes’ vote would be a big step in the right direction, there is an urgent need for even stronger legislation to protect mobile phone users from bill shock while abroad.
“Today’s vote in the European Parliament could see subscribers throughout Europe benefitting from cheaper prices when using their mobile abroad, but there’s still some way to go, says GOSIM.com’s John Assiter. “These rules will only apply to EU citizens roaming within Europe, so if you’re travelling further afield, you could still be stung with inflated roaming charges. But the real issue lies in the prices mobile operators are charging their subscribers for roaming. Savvy mobile phone users are already looking at their options and choosing to use an international service that will offer significant cost savings on data and phone charges while abroad, compared to domestic providers. This is going to be particularly important if travelling beyond the EU, where there is currently no bill shock protection and prices are higher.” 
GOSIM.com offers data rates of €0.39 (£0.29) per MB in most parts of the EU, a significant saving on current rates available in the market. It also offers plans that provide free incoming calls in over 70 of the most popular holiday destinations around the world.
