The compromise ensures that EU citizens can continue to use mobile services – phone calls, text messages and Internet browsing – in any country in the European Union, paying the same as in their Member State, announced the Council of the EU.

Introduced in 2017, the regime that ended roaming rates in the European Union was due to expire on June 30 of next year, but it has been extended for another 10 years, with the new updated regulation coming into force on July 1, 2022.

The agreement reached also provides that European citizens are entitled to “the same quality and speed of mobile connection” abroad as at home, forcing roaming providers to offer the same quality of mobile roaming as that offered domestically.

This will prevent, for example, providers reducing the quality of service for foreign customers.

The European Commission has already welcomed the agreement reached between the Council and Parliament on its proposal to revise the roaming regulation.

“Since 2017, we have enjoyed the end of roaming rates, and today we guarantee that we can maintain these benefits for another 10 years to stay connected, call, send SMS and surf the internet at no additional cost when traveling in the EU. At the same time, with this new regulation we also improve the quality of the roaming experience”, commented the Executive Vice President with the portfolio of “Europe Ready for the Digital Age”, Margreth Vestager.