10/07/2024 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 10 July, the European Commission announced a further extension of the agreement on telephone exchanges with Ukraine, which enables refugees in the EU to contact their families at home and vice versa at affordable prices. Established in April 2022, this agreement allows European operators to offer services to Ukraine at reduced prices, and seven Ukrainian operators to offer their customers the same. The Commission details that, “in addition to telecommunications services, EEA operators provide smartphones, power banks, and laptops to refugees. Despite the decrease in incoming traffic (...) as well as the necessity to invest in network restoration on top of other negative consequences of Russia’s war (...), Ukrainian operators continue to offer free or greatly reduced roaming services”. (IS)