Mobile operators agree on continued affordable roaming for Ukrainians in EU
From the Ukrainian side, Kyivstar, Vodafone, lifecell, Ukrtelecom, Data Group, Vega Telecom and 3Mob joined the initiative (Photo:Luis Villasmil\Unsplash)
Ukrainian and European mobile operators have signed a new joint statement on coordinating efforts to ensure affordable international roaming for Ukrainians in the European Union, the National Commission for the State Regulation of electronic communications, or NCEC, reported on Feb. 2.
The joint statement is supported by the European Commission and NCEC, as well as by the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). It will be valid for six months and is a continuation of the previous joint statement, which was concluded in 2022.
Seven Ukrainian and 20 European mobile operators have joined the initiative. The Ukrainian side is presented by Kyivstar, Vodafone, Lifecell, Ukrtelecom, Data Group, Vega Telecom, and 3Mob.
“The signing of the joint statement is the result of painstaking work of the NCEC team and the European Commission together with colleagues from BEREC, but primarily thanks to the significant efforts of Ukrainian and European operators,” said NCEC CEO Oleksandr Zhyvotovskyi.
The agreement will allow mobile operators to continue voluntary measures to provide affordable roaming services.
According to the NCEC, a wider circle of participants has become the main advantage of the updated statement, as fixed line operators and international transit companies have joined the initiative.
The agency noted that a coordinated approach to setting tariffs for roaming services and international calls to Ukraine allows for the minimization of additional costs for European and Ukrainian mobile and fixed line operators.
The agreement will also ensure stable inter-operator settlements.
According to the NCEC, the number of roaming subscribers ranged from 3.9 to 4.4 million subscribers per month from June to December 2022.
The implementation of the previous joint statement allowed Ukrainian operators to offer their subscribers affordable roaming services in 25 EU member states, as well as covering non-EU countries.
On average, voice traffic in international roaming increased from 17 min. to 52 min. per subscriber per month, while data consumption traffic in international roaming grew from 474 MB to 3.6 GB.
In September 2022, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen suggested including Ukraine in the European roaming zone.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
