EU cuts roaming costs for Icelanders
Photo: Golli mbl.is/Golli
Icelanders on their travels in Europe will benefit from new European Union (EU) mobile data roaming price caps taking effect tomorrow, 1 July.
The new EU regulation – which covers the whole of the European Economic Area (EEA), including Iceland – will bring the maximum price of an SMS text message down to ISK 10.99, while receiving a text message will be free.
Making telephone calls will be capped at ISK 34.83/minute, and receiving them at ISK 9.16/minute. Data will be capped at ISK 36.66/MB.
Mobile companies are also obliged by the new legislation to inform customers when they have reached 80% of the maximum monthly total data cost, which is €50 (approx. ISK 7,300).
The EU first laid down mobile data roaming price caps in 2007 with the aim of improving price competition on the market. With subsequent price reductions, making a mobile phone call abroad within the EEA is now some 50% cheaper than it was just four years ago.
Roaming charges are set to be completely abolished by 2017.
