Everyone in EU to get free roaming by 2017, if they're still a member

British mobile users may not benefit from the end of roaming following UK's vote to leave the EU

More than nine million UK mobile phone users suffer from so-called “bill shock” from using their phones while holidaying abroad each year (iStockphoto)

European consumers will no longer be charged extra for using their mobile phone abroad, meaning that people will be able to use their phones without fear of racking up huge bills, under new EU plans agreed on Wednesday.

The European Commission has scrapped initial plans that would have allowed roaming up to 90 days per year and for a maximum of 30 consecutive days.

It is not yet clear if Britain will benefit from the end of roaming as it negotiates its exit from the EU.

Andrus Ansip, European Commission vice-president for the digital single market, said there would no longer be a formal limit on surcharge-free roaming when new rules enter force in June 2017 after getting the official approval in December.

“We will not put any kind of limits on duration or, how many days [travellers] can enjoy no roaming surcharges, but we decided to put some clear safeguards on residency,” he said.

Jean-Claude Junker, the European Commission president, ordered the previous proposal to be redrafted after deeming it did not go far enough.

“When you roam, it should be like home,” he said.

The new rules have been introduced to prevent consumers receiving large bills from downloading films or using internet data abroad.

More than nine million UK mobile phone users suffer from so-called “bill shock” from using their phones while holidaying abroad each year, according to research by comparison website uSwitch.

Operators such as Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom will be able to check consumers' usage patterns to ensure they do not abuse the system by buying a cheap SIM card in one EU country and using it permanently elsewhere.

Viviane Reding, a member of the European Parliament and a former commissioner, said the Commission had kept its promise.

“After 10 years of tireless fight, roaming fees officially belong to the past,” she said.

In April, the former Prime Minister David Cameron said the changes were an example of why Britain is better off in the EU.

People living Switzerland, which is not part of the EU, currently pay one of the highest rates in Europe for data roaming.

“It appears that the UK will shortly find itself in the same position,” J. Scott Marcus, senior fellow at the think-tank Bruegel said in June.