Roaming like at home service for Ukrainian refugees in EU to be extended - Digital Transformation Ministry

MOSCOW. July 19 (Interfax) - The roam like at home service will be extended for Ukrainian refugees in the European Union member states, the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation said.

"The joint statement of mobile operators in Ukraine and the European Union is extended. Ukrainians who had to leave for the EU countries will be able to continue to call their relatives at the prices of Ukrainian operators. Previously there were agreements for three months. And the Ukrainians would have to switch to European tariffs already in July. However, the European Commission urged the EU operators to extend support for Ukrainians," the Ukrainian media reported, citing the information of the ministry on social media.

Currently, about 70 European operators provide Ukrainians with free roaming services, the Digital Transformation Ministry said. The statement is supported by Ukrainian mobile operators Kyivstar, Vodafone Ukraine and Lifecell.

The ministry thanked the National Commission, which provides state regulation of electronic communications, radio frequency range and postal services, the European Commission and the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) for the efforts taken to ensure that Ukrainians in the EU would stay in touch with their loved ones.

As earlier reported, mobile operators in Ukraine and the EU signed a joint declaration on coordinated efforts to ensure and stabilize affordable or free roaming and international calls between the EU and Ukraine.

At the time of its publication, the declaration was signed by 27 telecom operators in the EU and Ukraine, including several pan-European groups, as well as an association representing a number of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs in Europe), and it is open to further signatories.