EU telecoms ministers have backed a plan to cap prices for sending SMS text messages and browsing the internet on smartphones while abroad. The new price changes will come into effect from July 2009.

The proposals from the European Commission are intended to spare consumers from so-called "bill shocks" when they are hit with huge bills for downloading a TV clip or photo.

Ministers have agreed a retail cap of €0.11 (£0.09) per roamed text, a reduction of 18 Euros from the current price.

A wholesale cap of €1 (£0.83) will be placed on each megabyte downloaded.

Ministers also proposed introducing a mechanism which cuts off a smartphone's data connection when the bill surpasses €50 (about £42).

The new charges apply to travellers making phone calls or browsing the web on their mobiles while outside their home nation in the 27 EU countries.

"Ministers have answered the Commission's call for a speedy response to the SMS and data roaming rip-off very positively," said Viviane Reding, the telecommunications commissioner.

Sending messages abroad can cost up to 10 times as much as sending messages in a home country. More than 2.5 billion text messages were sent in the EU last year, generating nearly £670m for mobile operators.

http://ec.europa.eu

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