Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans has welcomed cuts to mobile phone call and data charges in different countries as Welsh families prepare for their Summer holidays.
New rules, introduced by the European Union and supported by Plaid Cymru, come into force on Tuesday, 1st July, setting a cap of 15 pence per minute on outgoing calls, 4p a minute on incoming calls, 6p for a text message, and 20p per megabyte of data downloaded.
There are also moves to scrap roaming charges altogether, with the European Parliament voting earlier this year to ban them by the end of 2015.
Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans compared the strong action taken by the European Union to improve mobile and digital connections with the slow progress to tackle poor signals and slow data connections in Wales.
Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans said:
“This week’s introduction of cheaper mobile phone calls between different countries, and cheaper data downloads, will make it easier for families to stay in touch while on holiday this year.
“In the past, too many people have come home from holidays and faced a nasty surprise when the bill arrived.
“As an MEP, I am pleased that the European Union has been able to agree regulation that has brought down the cost of international mobile phone calls, and we hope that they will be scrapped entirely by the end of 2015.
“This agreement shows that it is possible to force major international telecommunications companies to do what is right for the public rather than their shareholders.
“It stands in contrast to the Welsh Government, who has still failed to deal with the problem of poor mobile and data signals in large parts of Wales.
“Households and businesses in Wales should not have to put up with the second class service that too often we receive because many of us live in rural areas.”
