EU crackdown on text charges

The European Commission has launched a crackdown on high mobile phone texting charges.

EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding warned phone companies last January to cut texting charges voluntarily or face EU rules forcing them to do so.

Now she has signalled that voluntary reductions so far were not enough.

She proposed dramatic moves to slash texting rates by as much as 60 per cent to a maximum of around 9p, and to reduce the cost of receiving data on a mobile phone while abroad.

She also recommended mandatory billing by the second, rather than the minute, after the first 31 seconds.

Conservative MEP Giles Chichester said he regretted that compulsory cuts in roaming call rates had not encouraged the mobile phone industry to bring down text rates and avoid more legislation.

Mr Chichester said: "We had hoped the previous price cap would make the industry see the light and take action to avoid further intervention from the EU.

"More regulation in this field should be the last resort, and the Commission must make the case for the necessity of extending the limit."

"Ideally we would like the industry to act itself to cut prices, but if it fails, the EU should be prepared to act in the interests of consumers."

Three months after last year's enforced roaming call price caps, a survey showed that roaming charges had fallen by an average of 60 per cent.

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