Argentina Eliminates International Roaming Charges to Mercosur End Users

On May 2, 2024, the Official Gazette published Law 27740, approving the Agreement for the Elimination of International Roaming Charges to Mercosur End Users. This Law was enacted through Decree 376/2024, published the same day.

Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay—MERCOSUR States Parties—had signed the Agreement on July 17, 2019. The Agreement established guidelines for the international roaming service between telecommunications companies providing mobile telephone, messaging, and mobile data telecommunications services in the States Parties.

Providers must charge their users of international roaming services in the territory of another MERCOSUR country the same prices they charge for mobile services in their own country, according to the modality and plan contracted by each user.
 

Some of the principles the Agreement introduces are:

• It applies if the user of a provider of a State Party sends or receives voice communications or messaging; or accesses data services (Internet access) in international roaming, within the territory of another State Party.
• There must be reasonability between the prices charged to the end user and the prices of the agreements between the Providers.
• Each State Party must supervise that Providers offer roaming users the same quality of service as they offer their domestic users, and that they comply with the provisions in the Agreement.
• The enforcement authority in Argentina will be the Argentine Communications Agency (ENACOM).
   

The Agreement also establishes that a Technical Coordination Committee must be created. The Committee will be composed of representatives of the States Parties and will seek to facilitate the implementation of the Agreement and supervise State Parties fulfill and comply with it.