SCRAPPING mobile phone roaming charges will save consumers in border regions thousands of pounds, it has been claimed.
Extra fees will end within the EU by mid-2017 and will be significantly cut next summer after the European Parliament formally approved the rules.
Mobile phone users will pay the same price to make calls, send text messages and use data wherever they are in the EU from June 15, 2017.
This means users within the EU will be charged the same as they would in their home country.
DUP MEP Diane Dodds said: "People are being caught out by huge bills when downloading music or other data during their European holidays, ranging from hundreds to thousands of pounds.
"From 15 June 2017 this will be a thing of the past, with users within the EU being charged the same as they would in the member state.
"Furthermore, for those in Northern Ireland who live in border areas with the Irish Republic, the additional costs incurred because mobile networks automatically switching to providers in the Republic will also soon end."
The new rules aim to prevent consumers receiving huge bills after downloading films or other data while travelling in Europe.
And under new net neutrality rules, users across the EU will be free to access the content of their choice and will no longer be unfairly blocked or slowed down.
No service will be hampered because it does not pay an additional fee to internet service providers.
