New EU Law In Place to Prevent ‘Shock’ Mobile Internet Phone Bills

A new law has come into force that will see network providers notify and even cut you off when your mobile Internet bill reaches a certain amount.

You will be able to set a limit yourself or from 1 July, this limit will automatically be set at 50 Euros ($65; £45).

Mobile network providers will also be required to warn your if your bill reaches 80% of the amount set.

As someone with first hand experience of this, I can’t welcome the move enough. With the various methods of data exchange on phones nowadays and the charges network providers are charging for Internet access, this is very good news for consumers – especially us geeks. Mobile phones are changing fast into mobile internet devices, yet prices for access to the Internet have not moved with the times.

European Commissioner for Digital Agenda, Neelie Kroes, told the BBC: “Protection against data roaming bill shocks is a useful step towards building customers’ confidence to use mobile networks to surf the internet when travelling around Europe. Such confidence is essential if people and businesses are to use the internet to its full potential.”

Should your network provider, for whatever reason, not fulfil its obligation to limit your mobile Internet spending, the European Commission itself would deal with complaints and “impose any necessary sanctions”, according to the BBC.