TELECOMMUNICATION COMPANIES are being encouraged to abolish the roaming fees for long-distance mobile phonecalls and the internet "step by step", the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Saturday. Changjiang Daily commented on Monday:

It is indeed praiseworthy that the ministry has reiterated its resolve to cut the outdated roaming fees, which should have been canceled years ago.

Such fees are no longer necessary and in some cases, might even impede telecom innovations.