Starting December 29, Argentines traveling to Mercosur countries will not pay extra for roaming. It covers Internet use, calls and messages.
Starting on Sunday, December 29, Argentines traveling to Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay will stop paying extra charges for the international roaming service, as confirmed by the National Communications Agency (Enacom). This means that mobile phone users will be able to access Internet, calls and messages with the same rates they pay in Argentina, eliminating the usual extra costs.
This measure is part of the Agreement for the Elimination of International Roaming Charges in Mercosursigned in 2019 and ratified in Argentina through the Law 27,740 in May 2024. The agreement seeks to replicate the successful European model, where the elimination of these charges increased the use of mobile services by 1,300% during its first year of implementation.
How the new scheme works
Mobile service providers must apply the same local rates for use in Mercosur countries, according to the plan contracted by the user in their country of origin. This will allow travelers to use their cell phones as if they were in Argentina, without the need for special configurations.
A Technical Coordination Committeemade up of representatives of the member countries, will supervise the implementation of the agreement and compliance with obligations by the operators. In Argentina, this committee will be made up of Enacom and the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
Impact on travelers and regional communications
Enacom highlighted that roaming eliminates connectivity barriers for users who transit outside their provider’s network, allowing them to receive and make calls without additional procedures. Additionally, the agreement seeks to strengthen regional relations through competitive rates and greater technological accessibilityfacilitating the use of telecommunications in neighboring countries.
The agreement also contemplates guaranteeing international users the same quality of service that local users receive, minimizing obstacles to accessing alternative technologies that promote connectivity.
Source: Ambito
