It was in 2017 when the European Union ruled in favor of ending roaming charges in the Member States. With the term of this decision about to expire, the European Commission has just announced the extension of this measure.
In a statement, this organization reports that the absence of roaming charges in the Member States will extend until 2032. This means ten more years of travel without having to worry about additional charges for our telecommunications service.
Non-existent roaming in Europe extended until 2032
The European Commission justifies this decision with the benefits it will bring to consumers and providers of telecommunications services. The objective is that consumers can enjoy the contracted service even outside their country of origin.
This means that the values applied to your fare will remain unchanged when traveling outside of Portugal. No foreign network rental fees like in the past.
The countries covered by this measure are the 27 Member States of the European Union plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. The UK, however, is out of the new law due to Brexit.
For operators, the new legislation also implies a reduction in rental rates for communications networks. This is so that operators can continue to offer zero roaming to all of their customers.
The European Union also standardizes the contact of the emergency services
In addition to extending the end of roaming, the European Union wants all citizens to be able to easily use emergency services in case of need. To this end, it determined the number 112 as a reference for all Member States.
In case of need, this contact will remain active in any member of the European Union and citizens must be informed about it. By June 2023, operators must implement an automated service that informs all travelers of the availability of this emergency contact.
In short, you will be able to continue traveling around Europe without having to worry about additional charges on your telephone bill. The amounts paid in Portugal for the different forms of communication will be the same in any of the 27 Member States.
