It's time China and EU lifted all digital barriers

Mobile phone users in China will not have to pay roaming charges while travelling within the Chinese mainland from October and people in European Union member countries will start enjoying the same concession within the union from mid-June.

Many in China say the move - made by China Mobile Communications, China United Network Communications and China Telecommunications - was influenced by cell phone users' shift to social media to communicate with friends and relatives. For example, there are more than 800 million WeChat users in China who can all use the app to send messages, buy tickets, order meals, book hotel rooms, and even hail taxis. Many other users prefer WhatsApp or Skype, which means the competitiveness of mobile phone service providers has been eroded.

To some extent, the same reason forced the EU telecom companies to scrap the roaming charges, although the Europeans generally spend less time on social media than their Chinese counterparts.