In Brief: Vodafone to slash European roaming charges

May 8, 2006

Vodafone will be reducing costs of roaming charges in Europe by at least 40 percent by April 2007 compared to the summer of 2005.

The British carrier said that the plan will benefit more than 30 million of its customers who roam every year. It also said that it will enter into a reciprocal wholesale agreement with other European operators from October 2006, which will enable both Vodafone and other European mobile operators to continue to lower the cost of roaming to customers outside of their own networks.

"Customers want simplicity and value for money when they're travelling abroad. They get it with Vodafone Passport, which we launched last year, allowing customers to take their home tariff abroad with a small additional per call fee. Today Passport provides savings of at least 30 percent for more than 6 million Vodafone customers," said Arun Sarin, chief executive of the company.

"The European Commission and European Parliament have made it clear that they expect to see change. Our announcement today shows that the market, led by Vodafone, is meeting those expectations by providing what our customers tell us they want. Also, by addressing both retail and wholesale prices, we are providing a platform for sustainable, lower retail prices across Europe in the future," Sarin added.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International