Mobile firms forced to cut roaming fees

Using mobile phones to connect to the internet abroad will cost less under plans to force operators to allow rivals to use their networks to provide cheaper services.

Neelie Kroes, the European Union telecoms commissioner, announced the scheme in response to public anger at overseas charges for data roaming. She also plans to cap charges for data roaming – when mobiles connect to the internet using the 3G network – to a maximum of 80p per megabyte inside the EU from next July. Opening up the network to more operators will result in lower prices through competition, she said, adding: "Operators currently enjoy outrageous profit margins. The proposal tackles the root cause of the problem by giving customers more choice."