The Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission adopted an action plan on abolishing roaming charges in the Eurasian Economic Union at a session on 29 October. Member states of the EAEU include Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia.

The action plan stipulates a set of measures designed to prevent, detect, and suppress fraud and enable direct interaction of mobile carriers for handling international roaming traffic. The measures also provide for organizing direct links between mobile carriers.

Transition will start in 2025 Eurasian Economic Union roaming

The development of rules on fair use of just tariffs is part of the action plan. Among other things, the rules will determine billing increments and the maximum volume of communications services that roaming users can get at fair prices. Eurasian Economic Union roaming

The Eurasian Economic Commission will keep an eye on the implementation of these measures. Once they are fully realized, the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission will pass recommendations that will encourage EAEU mobile carriers to transition to roaming tariffs as close to home tariffs as possible starting in 2025.

According to mobile network operators, it takes a number of steps to resolve issues of lowering roaming charges. In particular, it is necessary to liberalize the inter-operator interaction of the EAEU countries, to minimize the risks associated with cases of fraud and traffic substitution, and to reduce the cost of interconnect services.

The EU Roaming Revolution

Roaming charges have long been a contentious issue for travelers within the European Union (EU). However, recent developments have signaled a shift towards a more traveler-friendly approach. In June 2017, the EU abolished roaming charges for its citizens traveling within its borders, a move that was hailed as a significant victory for consumers. This means that EU citizens can now use their mobile devices in any EU country just as they would at home, at no extra cost. This monumental move is aimed at creating a ‘Digital Single Market’ in the EU, where everyone has the same access to digital goods and services. This change has not only simplified travel for Europeans but has also fostered greater connectivity and understanding between member nations.