EU Reaches Deal to Allow Cell Phone Roaming Throughout

(SOURCE) - The European Union reached a deal early Wednesday morning that should pave the way for consumers to use their mobile phones throughout the 28-country region without paying roaming fees.

Three-way negotiations between the European Parliament, Council and Commission ended just after midnight with a pact on the pace of slashing rates telecom companies charge each other, according to the office of Parliament’s rapporteur Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, a Finnish member of the Socialists & Democrats.

Honestly I think this is super cool. I love to see examples of technology changing with the times and not standing still. From what I understand, it is super cheap to go from country to country in Europe. Roaming fees must have been one of those things that people didn't originally think of but turned into headache to deal with in the middle of country hopping. Europe isn't that big, so imagine going from state to state here and having to pay roaming fees. That would be tragic.

As a side note: data limits and charging for data overages are the most preposterous things of all time. It is just another way for phone companies to drain the pockets of their customers. I bought this phone that cost an arm and a leg. There are months were I have to shut my data off so I don't go over, hindering the use of my phone. It's terrible. However, I hope that one day data will eventually be a thing of the past. You have to assume that eventually there will be Wi-Fi options at every street corner. I know that in Boston there are a ton of places where I can connect to Public Wi-Fi. But, until there are options literally everywhere, I will be here going over my data limit.