"Goodbye" to rip-off texts for Brits abroad - Fiona Hall MEP

4.30.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 22nd Apr 2009

Brits holidaying abroad will soon be able to take advantage of a little extra change in their pockets, as new European rules set to cut the price of texting whilst abroad finally come into force on July 1st - just in time for the summer holidays.

Politicians in the European Parliament have already forced mobile phone companies to lower call prices and now they say texting home from countries in Europe should cost less too.

It now means that people will pay a maximum of around 10p per message - about a third of what it costs now - and would make texts free to receive, making all the difference to tourists who want to stay in touch with home whilst on holiday abroad.

And the changes will also restrict how much phone companies can charge to surf the internet on mobiles, as well as lowering how the costs to make and receive calls abroad even more.

North East MEP Fiona Hall, who worked on the package in the Industry, Research and Energy Committee in the European Parliament, was amazed at the fact that British holidaymakers were being charged around 41p per text, whilst a Latvian tourist would expect to pay just 4p for the same service.

Said Lib Dem Fiona:

"I can't believe that mobile phone companies have been able to get away with this kind of overpricing for as long as they have.

"There are more cheap package holidays around as holiday operators cut their prices, so why shouldn't holidaymakers also be able to save money on their mobiles?"

"Now at last, holidaymakers up and down the country will be able to breathe a sigh of relief as they know that using a phone whilst abroad will no longer be the massive rip-off it once used to be.

"And knowing that it will no longer cost the earth to go online, will put a stop to the nasty shocks that people have received when they return from holiday, open their bills and see they have been charged a small fortune for simply checking the football scores on their mobiles.

"Everyone on holiday should have the right to be able to keep in touch with loved ones at home, without holidaying in fear at the thought of opening the bill when the holiday comes to an end."