The EU roaming regulation introduced the 'Euro-Tariff' and the 'Euro-SMS' tariff, which cap the maximum charges that any mobile service operator can charge for calls and SMSs as indicated in the table below.
Remember, that when receiving a call when you are in another EU destination, you will pay for a portion of this call. Incoming SMSs are free of charge.
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Euro-tariff Rates as from 1st July 2010 .
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Outgoing SMS
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Outgoing calls
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Incoming calls
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Excluding VAT and duty tax
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0.11c
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0.39c
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0.15c
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Including VAT and duty tax
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0.13,37c
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0.47,70c
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0.18,23c
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Note: In case of pre-paid customers, the 3% duty tax is already deducted when you top up your account.
The new rules have also obliged mobile service provider to charge on a per second basis for all voice calls, made or received, to ensure that consumers only pay for what is consumed. However, it is important to note that local service providers may charge a flat rate for the first 30 seconds BUT per second billing has to be applied thereafter.
The Regulation also lays down rules aimed at increasing price transparency and improving the provision of information on charges to users of roaming services.
Your service provider will, by means of a messaging service, inform you automatically whenever you enter another Member State, with personalised information on the roaming charges (including VAT) that apply to the making and receiving of calls, sending of SMSs and data services according to your subscribed tariff plan. This service is free of charge.
In addition, you have the right to request, free of charge, wherever you are in the EU, additional pricing information on the roaming charges of voice calls, SMS, MMS and other data communication services by means of a mobile voice call or by SMS.
You can also check the tariffs you will incur while visiting another country by calling your mobile operator or by visiting its international roaming web page. Links have been provided below. In Malta, all operators offer international roaming services to their subscribers.
Links to information on roaming facilities per operator:
As from 1 March 2010, mobile operators are obliged to provide you with a facility which provides information about the usage of data (data downloaded and uploaded), including the use of Internet related services from your mobile or other device. This information will be expressed either in volume of data, such as megabytes, or in Euros spent.
Mobile operators are obliged to introduce a system whereby they will establish one or more financial or volume limits to control data usage consumption whilst abroad.
As from 1st July 2010, should you be able to access data services from your device, by default, you will have a data roaming limit capped close to but not exceeding 50 [excluding VAT], that is not exceeding 60.77 (including VAT and duty tax) per month, unless you agree to a different limit, if such is established by the operator, whether higher or lower, with your service provider.
Your mobile operator will alert you as soon as you reach 80% of this limit. As soon as this limit is reached, your data service will be stopped unless you ask your service provider to extend the limit.
As in the case of voice and SMS services, your service provider is obliged to provide you with all the tariff information necessary, as soon as you connect to the Internet from your device, either in the form of an SMS message, an email or pop-up window.
Other links of interest:
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