EU expected to cap phone prices

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The EU is today expected to pass regulations capping the price of phoning and texting while abroad.

The new measures were first suggested in November last year after mobile phone networks were asked to lower costs but failed to decrease the cost enough to please the EU commission.

The measures have the backing of EU telecoms ministers and were suggested by EU Telecommunications Commissioner Viviane Reding.

The BBC has reported the new price caps will be 11 Euro cents (10 pence) for a roaming text which is 18 cents less than today’s average.

On the voice calls side of things, the BBC report said outgoing calls were expected to drop to 43 cents in July – from 46 cents - and then 35 cents by July 2011. For incoming calls the price will go down to 19 cents from 22 cents in July and to just 11 cents by July 2011.

The vote is taking place today and is expected to be passed with a majority backing, unlike other parts of the telecoms reform Reding wants to push through.

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