European Commission decision to cap text and data charges

Commenting on the European Commission's decision to cut the cost of texting and data downloading abroad, Rob Barnes, head of mobiles and broadband at moneysupermarket.com, said: "At last we're seeing a significant price cap put on the inflated charges imposed by mobile networks for texts and data. The ceiling on call charges has saved consumers millions of pounds and these new regulations will help people save even more at a time when they need it most. Using a mobile abroad can result in massive monthly bills and a mobile phone is something most people can't do without.

"As call charges have been so high in the past, travellers have got into the habit of texting instead. However, sending and receiving a couple of texts on your holiday soon starts adding pounds to your bill. Consumers who are going abroad should look at their network's international offering as these can often provide huge savings.

"Whilst the Commission's announcement is great news for anyone taking their phone abroad, the regulation could still go further. 3 currently allow its customers to use their bundled allowance whilst in one of the network's partnering countries such as Italy. With all the major networks operating in other countries across Europe, I don't see why they can't follow suit, except of course they won't make as much money. In my opinion further regulation is still needed in this area."