Small businesses will benefit enormously from today’s decision by the European Parliament to cap 'roaming' charges for making and receiving mobile calls across the EU.

The decision will mean the cost of making a mobile call anywhere in the EU will be capped at 33p a minute and receiving a call will cost no more than 16p a minute.

More than 150 mobile phone users throughout Europe will be affected when the new tariffs are introduced from July or August this year, although the cost of text messaging will not be changed.

Businesses that trade across borders will not be the only ones to benefit, as the decision will also specifically assist businesses in border regions of Northern Ireland that often suffer from roaming costs when their phone automatically switches to a stronger signal in the Republic.