Phone roaming costs set to come down

The European Commission has warned mobile phone companies to open up competition and cut charges to customers for using their phones abroad.

Compulsory maximum overseas rates were first imposed on mobile networks two years ago to tackle what the commission called the "roaming rip-off".

But despite the move, Neelie Kroes, the EU commissioner for Europe's "digital agenda", says that the price gap between domestic mobile charges and roaming rates remains unjustifiably high, and she is aiming is to reduce the gap to nothing by 2015.

"Huge differences between domestic and roaming charges have no place in a true EU single market," she said.

"We need to address the source of current problems, namely a lack of competition, and to find a durable solution."