European Union governments look set to back price caps on the cost of sending text messages and surfing the net on mobile phones while travelling in other EU countries.

EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reading proposed the move, saying they are needed to give consumers a better deal when they use their mobile phone outside a home state within the 27-nation area.

Mobile phone operators say the data roaming market is too young to be regulated and that prices are already coming down.

The ministers’ support for price controls on data roaming makes it a near certainty that the new restrictions will take effect July 1, following final negotiations

The wholesale limit on roaming charges for bulk data involved in internet surfing would be limited to €1 per megabyte.

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