Romania Regulator Raises EU Roaming Data Limits
Starting on January 1, 2021, following the decrease in the regulated wholesale tariff, the data volume (MB/GB) that can be consumed while roaming in the EU or SEE without incurring any surcharges has increased by almost 17% on average for most of the tariff plans. data allowances in EU
Furthermore, if the fair use limits for some of the EU/EEA roaming services are exceeded, the surcharges that could be levied for subsequent consumption have decreased as follows:
– the data surcharge by 14%, from EUR 3.5 to EUR 3/GB (VAT not included);
– the surcharge for calls received by approximately 4%, from 0.79 to 0.76 euros per minute (VAT not included).
Moreover, the maximum surcharge rate that RCS & RDS S.A. is authorized to apply to its own customers for roaming calls received in the EEA in 2021, under the conditions set out in the ANCOM President’s Decision no. 585/2020, has decreased from 0.79 to 0.76 euro cents/minute (VAT not included).
Situations when data roaming surcharges are levied data allowances in EU
From 15 June 2017, the data volume (mobile Internet, MB/GB) consumed while roaming in the EU/SEE (EU + Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) has been charged at domestic prices. However, for most of the tariff plans, the providers may set a limit for the data volume that can be consumed while roaming in the EU/SEE without any surcharges within a billing cycle (FUP limit). Since January 1, 2021, the FUP limit has increased by almost 17% compared to the one applied in 2020.
After exceeding the FUP limit, the providers may levy a surcharge, even if the data volume included in the tariff plan has not been fully exhausted. From 1 January 2021 – the surcharge has been capped to EUR 3/GB (0.3 eurocents/MB), VAT not included.
FUP limit while roaming in the EU/EEA starting 1 January 2021
- a)for open data bundles (prepaid cards, subscriptions, add-ons), and for tariff plans with a per-GB tariff less than EUR 3 (VAT not included), the users can consume, in the EEA, without surcharges, a data roaming volume – in GB – calculated as follows:
retail price for mobile services, per billing cycle (VAT not included)
2 x _____________________________________________________
EUR 3
- b) for prepaid cards without a data allowance(pay per unit or per MB/GB), the users can consume in the SEE, with no surcharges, an initial (while the users pay as they go, the FUP limit goes down) data roaming volume – in GB – calculated as follows:
amount of pre-paid credit available at entry in EU/SEE roaming
2 x ___________________________________________________
EUR 3
Roaming in the UK after 1 January 2021 data allowances in EU
We remind you that, from January 1, 2021, the European regulations on ”Roam like at home” (RLAH) will no longer be mandatory for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (including Gibraltar), following the completion of the Brexit transition period. “In this context, the telecom operators in Romania no longer have the legal obligation to offer the users roaming at national rates on their travels to the UK. The RLAH benefits are guaranteed only within the European Economic Area – nevertheless, the Romanian providers are free to keep the UK within the scope of RLAH, but such a decision depends on the commercial strategy of each supplier. To avoid additional costs, Romanian users who travel to the United Kingdom should check the applicable roaming rates with their providers well in advance.” said Eduard LOVIN, vice president of ANCOM.
RLAH data limit calculator: an application developed by ANCOM
For the users’ easier estimation of their FUP data roaming limit in the EU/SEE, ANCOM has developed a widget application, available here. The widget has been updated with the EUR 3/GB tariff in force starting from 1 January 2021. The widget generates relevant results for all the users of roaming-enabled tariff plans, except for those of RCS&RDS S.A., an operator authorized to levy roaming surcharges from the first consumption unit. data allowances in EU
