European Union continues its push to lower international cell phone roaming costs

Sponsored links, if any, appear in green.

The European Union has proposed a new set of caps for international roaming fees for EU mobile phone users that are designed to save travelers money and avoid the "bill shock" that happens when many return home from trips. The new caps are meant to replace the existing ones that are due to expire in July.

The new limits will cap data rates at 0.20 EUR (US$0.26) per megabyte of data by 2014, limit per minute call rates to 0.25 EUR (US$0.33) by July 1 of this year and 0.15 EUR (US$0.20) by 2014. The plan would also limit SMS rates to 0.08 EUR (US$0.11) each this year and to 0.05 EUR (US$0.07) by 2014. These limits are significantly lower than the 0.50 EUR price per megabyte of data, 0.35 EUR per minute of talk time, or 0.11 EUR SMS rate that travelers currently pay.

Even more promising is that the EU wants the plan adopted across the world, so that global travelers will be able to benefit from the limits that European travelers see. The new proposal is due to be reviewed in front of Parliament this April. [The New York Times via The Verge]