EU Lawmaker Proposes Cutting the Wholesale Roaming Cap to €0.65/GB in 2026 - and €0.40 by 2031: What It Means for Travelers

The price European carriers charge each other for roaming data could drop sharply if a new proposal from the European Parliament survives negotiations. According to MLex, which reported the draft on October 21, 2026, MEP Michał Kobosko, the Parliament's lead lawmaker on the overhaul of EU telecom rules, wants to cut the wholesale data roaming cap to 65 euro cents per gigabyte initially and to 40 euro cents per gigabyte by 2031.

The cuts would hit the operators that host the most visiting traffic. MLex names Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Orange and Telefónica as the groups that could face tighter limits on what they charge rival operators. The stated goal is to help smaller operators compete across borders and reduce consumers' potential roaming surcharges.

The numbers in context

The wholesale cap is the maximum one EU operator can charge another when that operator's customers use its network abroad. Under the current roaming regulation, which keeps "Roam Like at Home" in place until 2032, the cap follows a fixed glide path: €1.10/GB in 2026 and €1.00/GB in 2027.

The draft would go further and faster:

Scenario	Wholesale cap per GB
Current rule, 2026	€1.10
Current rule, 2027	€1.00
Kobosko draft, initial	€0.65
Kobosko draft, by 2031	€0.40

That is roughly a 41% cut from today's level at the first step and about 64% by 2031. For comparison, when the Parliament reviewed the rules in 2021, its position called for a cap that fell from €2/GB to €1/GB by 2027.

Industry pushback is already visible. Trade outlet Rapporteur reported that the Parliament's roaming proposals have "spooked" telcos, and large operators have historically argued that wholesale caps below cost force domestic customers to subsidize visitors.

Why a wholesale number matters to you

Most travelers never see a wholesale price, but it shapes three things they do see:

1. Fair-use limits on EU roaming. EU rules let operators apply a fair-use limit to roaming data on cheap or unlimited plans. For open data bundles, the minimum roaming allowance is calculated as at least twice the plan's monthly price (excluding VAT) divided by the wholesale cap. Using a €10 monthly plan as an illustration: at €1.10/GB the floor is about 18 GB; at €0.65/GB it would be about 31 GB; at €0.40/GB it would reach 50 GB. Lower caps mean more roaming data before surcharges.

2. Surcharges after the limit. Operators can charge for data beyond fair use, but the surcharge is tied to the wholesale cap. A lower cap means smaller overage charges.

3. Costs for travel eSIM providers. Many travel eSIMs run on European operator profiles that roam across the region under wholesale agreements. Lower regulated wholesale rates can reduce the cost of serving Europe. Whether that reaches retail prices depends on each provider's contracts and competition.

Our earlier coverage explains how Roam Like at Home was extended to 2032 and how Ukraine and Moldova joined the roaming area.

What happens next

This is a draft report, not a law. It has to go through committee amendments and a Parliament vote, and then negotiations with EU member states in the Council, which often favor more cautious cuts. No timetable for a final deal has been published, and the €0.65 figure could change or disappear. Until then, the €1.10/GB cap applies in 2026 and €1.00/GB in 2027.

What travelers should do now

• If you have an EU SIM: Roam Like at Home already covers you inside the EU/EEA. Check your plan's fair-use allowance in your operator's app before a long trip, especially on budget or unlimited plans.
• If you are visiting Europe from outside the EU: These rules do not apply to your home carrier. Americans, Latin Americans, Canadians and Australians still pay their own carrier's roaming prices, often charged per day. A regional Europe travel eSIM covering 30+ countries on one plan is usually the simplest option. HOLASIM, Airalo, Saily and Holafly all sell Europe-wide plans.
• Compare per-GB and per-day costs. For trips longer than a week, a fixed data bundle usually beats a daily pass. Check that the plan includes the countries on your route, including non-EU stops such as Switzerland, the UK or Turkey.
• Watch for 2027. Even without this proposal, the wholesale cap drops to €1.00/GB next year, adding a bit more roaming room for EU customers.

The takeaway: Brussels is again debating how cheap roaming should be under the hood. For EU residents, that could mean bigger fair-use allowances. For visitors, the practical answer remains a prepaid Europe eSIM bought before departure.