EU to end cellphone roaming charges in 2017

London

EUROPEAN officials approved on Tuesday a series of sweeping changes to how mobile and wired Internet service works in the region, pushing through rules that outlaw mobile roaming charges and forbid providers from giving preferences to some types of online traffic.

As part of the new rules, which are expected to be officially approved by European governments over the next few months, officials here banned cellphone roaming charges, beginning in 2017, when people travel across the 28-member European Union (EU). The changes also outline how Internet service providers must treat data over their networks, forbidding broadband providers from slowing down any particular service.

The changes are part of long-awaited overhauls aimed at improving how Europeans connect to and use mobile services. Lawmakers say they want the new rules to foster greater economic activity in the EU, which in many ways is still divided by natio…