In the past few years the EU institutions managed to harmonize roaming within the EU and with every year European citizens paid less for using their mobile phones while they were in another European country than their home one. Recently gathered data shows, however, huge discrepancies for cost of using mobile phones for domestic calls among citizens of various European countries. The difference in price reaches 774% between the cheapest Lithuania and the most expensive Netherlands (yay me!). (774% difference in phone call prices across the EU)
Neelie Kroes, VP of the European Commission, announced that also in this aspect the telecommunication EU market needs strengthening and harmonization. New measures as to how to achieve this are to be presented in the fall.
Additional problem with mobile phone network is the failure of most European countries to successfully adopt 4G wireless broadband spectrum by the agreed deadline of 1 January 2013. While in the United States it is reported that over 90% of people have 4G access, in Europe only 25% citizens can access 4G in their hometowns (with almost no coverage in rural areas across the EU). Despite the fact that the EU made available broadband spectrum to the Member States, national level problems have caused many delays - both procedural and in licensing. (Connected continent? Three-quarters have no 4G access) (European suffering because most Member States are too slow delivering 4G mobile broadband spectrum)
