Conservative MEPs cheer end to roaming charges

West Midlands Conservative MEP Anthea McIntyre has welcomed today's European Parliament vote to abolish mobile phone and data roaming charges once and for all.

In a vote in Strasbourg this afternoon, MEPs voted through rules to end roaming charges in June 2017 for travel within the European Union. The package also introduces rules safeguarding the open nature of the internet in line with the principle of so-called "net neutrality".

Miss McIntyre said: "It used to be that when abroad on holiday you were careful about every mobile call and every piece of data downloaded under roaming. Otherwise there would be a nasty shock waiting in your bill when you got back home.

"We have been bringing roaming charges down gradually over several years, and with this vote we are killing them off altogether as of 2017.

"We have also introduced net neutrality in a way that should allow British internet service providers time to set up new and effective ways of allowing parents to filter the content their children are allowed to see online.

"All round the package is good news for holidaymakers, for small companies with business abroad and for parents."