FNA reduces charges for mobile calls in other EU countries

Germany’s network regulator, the Federal Network Agency (FNA), has lowered the rates charged for mobile phone calls made in other European Union (EU) countries. Under the FNA’s new regulations, from 1 July 2009 anyone making mobile calls in another EU country will pay a maximum of EUR0.43 (USD0.60) per minute (excluding VAT) for outgoing calls and no more than EUR0.19 per minute for incoming calls. This represents a reduction of EUR0.03 per minute on the maximum rates for incoming and outgoing calls in effect since the end of August 2008. In summer 2010 the price caps will drop even further to EUR0.39 cents per minute for outgoing calls and to EUR0.15 cents per minute for incoming calls. Charges will be reduced yet again in summer 2011 to EUR0.35 (outgoing) and to EUR0.11 (incoming). In addition, a maximum limit of EUR0.11 for sending an SMS in another EU country has been set and the wholesale charges for data roaming have been limited to EUR1 per megabyte. Compliance by Germany’s mobile operators with the ‘Roaming Regulation’ will be monitored by the FNA.