25.02.2010

Telecom operators must make available financial limits for data services

By 1 March 2010, telecom operators must provide the customers who so wish with a service enabling the interruption of data service once the agreed financial limit is reached when they travel in the EU. Data service means that you can download e-mail, websites, photos or movies to your mobile phone or other mobile device.

Telecom operators may offer their customers a wider range of financial limits, but one of them must be about 50 euros (+ VAT) a month. As the agreed financial limit approaches, the telecom operator must notify the customer of it by, for example, sending a text message. If the customer wants to discontinue using the service, the telecom operator must stop providing the data service and charging for it.

The financial limit service must be made available for the customers who wish to use it, and as of 1 July 2010, it must be made available to all customers, unless otherwise agreed with the customer and the telecom operator.

The new practise will increase the consumers' opportunities to protect themselves from shock bills. Telecom operators are already accustomed to notifying their customers of the prices of calls, text messages and data services by sending automatic price information to customers as they travel in the EU.

The obligations are based on the EU roaming regulation. FICORA will monitor the compliance with the obligations in Finland.

Further information:

Mari Österberg, Legal Counsel, tel. +358 40 524 5368
Marja Lehtimäki, Head of Communications Markets Supervision, tel. +358 50 320 5181