European and Ukrainian telecommunications operators agreed to extend free roaming for Ukrainians in the EU for another six months

European and Ukrainian telecommunications operators have agreed to extend affordable roaming for Ukrainians in the European Union for another six months.

This is reported by the press service of the National Commission, which carries out state regulation in the spheres of electronic communications.

The joint statement was signed by 20 European operators and seven Ukrainian operators (Kyivstar, Vodafone, lifecell, Ukrtelecom, Data Group, Vega Telecom and 3Mob) on February 2.

"The joint statement will allow continuing voluntary measures to provide affordable or free international roaming services and international calls to help Ukrainians stay in touch with family and friends, as well as have access to the Internet and reliable sources of information," they noted.

The Commission said that the total number of Ukrainian subscribers in the European Union is currently 3.9-4.4 million. Agreements with European operators allow Ukrainians to provide their services in the EU at affordable prices or even for free.

• Back in April 2022, Ukrainian and European operators signed a joint statement with the assistance of the National Commission for Electronic Communications, the European Commission, the European Parliament and BEREC. Three Ukrainian mobile operators joined the application: Kyivstar, Vodafone and lifecell, as well as 52 mobile and 19 fixed European operators. Therefore, even with their tariffs and SIM cards, Ukrainians can use the Internet in the European Union and call other Ukrainian numbers.
• However, these are only temporary measures, since the operators themselves determine the number of minutes and Internet to provide subscribers for free, and the quality of communication is also worse than it should be. Currently, Ukraine is working on signing an agreement with the EU on the abolition of roaming.