May 3 (SeeNews) - Telecommunications operators from the European Union and the countries from the Western Balkans have agreed to gradually decrease data roaming prices from October 2023 to 2028, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
A total of 38 operators committed to introducing maximum retail price caps of 18 euro ($19.9) for 1 gigabyte from October 2023, 14 euro from 2026 and 9 euro from 2028 for data usage in both directions between the EU and the Western Balkans, the EU executive said in a press release.
The introduction of price caps will reduce data roaming prices for consumers by at least a third of the current average price for data roaming, the Commission said.
"This voluntary agreement will bring predictability, help eliminate consumer bill shocks, and facilitate substantially lowering data roaming charges for the EU and Western Balkan consumers, " Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, commented.
In December, telecommunications operators from the EU member states and the Western Balkan countries signed an agreement to reduce roaming charges between the EU and the Western Balkans as of October 1.
In June 2021, leaders of the counties in the Western Balkans - Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo - agreed to abolish roaming charges.