End to price rip-off for SMS texts abroad

10.21.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 23rd Apr 2009

Members of the European Parliament have already forced mobile phone companies to lower call prices while abroad. Now holidaying Brits will benefit from new European rules to cut the price of SMS texting. These will come into force on July 1st - just in time for the summer holidays.

British holidaymakers have been charged around 41p per text while other European mobile users paid 4p for the same service. But MEPs insist that the cost of texting home from the Continent should be cut to a maximum of around 10p a message. Receiving texts will be made free of charge. The changes will also restrict how much phone companies can charge for internet use from mobiles, as well as lowering still further the costs of calls abroad.

London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford said:

"Mobile phone companies should never have been allowed by UK regulators to get away with overpricing for so long. Consumers have the EU to thank for rescuing them from these rip-off merchants. In this recession, Europe's a big friend of the little guy."

"London holidaymakers will be able to breathe a sigh of relief as they know that phoning home or surfing the web from abroad will no longer be the massive rip-off it once was. The traditional shock of opening the bill after a great holiday will not be sadly missed."

"It was disappointing to see that London Conservative MEP Syed Kamall refused to vote for EU action to bring down the cost of these mobile charges whilst abroad, but travelling Londoners can rely on the Liberal Democrats to protect their interests."