EU Mandate Forces Carriers to Inform Subscribers of Growing Wireless Bills

From DailyTech: Wireless subscribers in the European Union now have the ability to ask their mobile phone carrier to disconnect their service if they rack up too many data charges -- a 50-euro cap is instituted before a warning and disconnection occurs.

Phone providers also must inform subscribers when their subscription reaches 80% of its maximum capacity. The new cap officially started on March 1.

Phone companies have the choice of altering the cap amount, depending on what consumers want. The new cap now offers additional transparency and consumer protection, according to the EU, which the Digital Agenda Commissioner has worked for along with the European Parliament and EU Council of Ministers.

Wireless providers in North America and Europe have been criticized for a number of different issues, including unfairly raising costs and adding even more fine print to trap subscribers. These new rules limit per megabyte download charges to remain 1€ per MB -- with the price mandated to drop in 2011 and 2012 -- as the EU seeks more control of the mobile market.

"Protection against data roaming bill shocks is a useful step towards building customers' confidence to use mobile networks to surf the Internet when traveling around Europe," said Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for Digital Agenda. “Such confidence is essential if people and businesses are to use the internet to its full potential."

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