EU to end roaming fees, expected to come into affect within a year - Polidicks

[t]http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/woman-laughing-mobile-phone-isolated-13976997.jpg[/t] [quote][B]Roaming fees for voice calls, texts and internet access will effectively be completely scrapped under the proposals,which are part of a broader effort to create a single European telecoms market.[/B] The group of 27 European Commissioners voted in Brussels on Tuesday to drive the package through in time for the European elections in May next year, to come into force as soon as 1 July 2014.“They agreed that this time next year we will have got rid of these charges,” a Brussels source said. Officials will draw up and publish detailed proposals in the next six weeks.They expect the death of roaming charges to typically wipe 2pc off mobile operators’ revenues, after several years of tightening regulations designed toput an end to shockingly high bills for holiday makers and business travellers. They argue that operators will gain in the longer term by customers using their mobiles more abroad, particularly to access the internet. ... With no roaming fees, officials believe the single market will mean foreign operators will be able to compete for British customers, and vice-versa. They are likely to form airline-style alliances that will lead to mergers, it is hoped. The plans set up a clash between Brussels and telecoms bosses such as Vodafone chief executive Vittorio Colao, who in February called for a "moratorium on regulation" in telecoms. He said industry had been a target for too long and it threatened employment. Neelie Kroes, the Commisisoner behind the reforms, told Mr Colao she would "call your bluff". [/quote] [URL="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/telecoms/10119159/EU-to-end-mobile-roaming-charges-next-year.html"]Source[/URL]

yey

-Snip- Thought this was about EA for some reason. Game news on the mind.

good I don't know how it is in Europe but in the U.S. cell providers cannot be likened to anything more than money grubbing assholes, so legislation that puts them in their place is welcome

So this means I could get a European sim and get cheaper calls?

[QUOTE=Pepsi-cola;41033136]So this means I could get a European sim and get cheaper calls?[/QUOTE] More like you get a bigger choice of telecom providers to choose from. Which in turn means more competition and in the end, better prices for the end-consumer.

Also now I can go to Greece and Italy and send text messages to my friends to annoy them, at the same rates as at home!

Well this is useful... a bunch of my friends and family are constantly somewhere NOT at home in Europe.

Awesome, i remember reading somewhere that sending texts abroad doesn't actually cost your phone provider anything extra they just charge ridiculous amounts because they can

So does this mean if I'm on a contract it doesn't matter, I can just text and not be charged?

[QUOTE=Erasus;41033840]So does this mean if I'm on a contract it doesn't matter, I can just text and not be charged?[/QUOTE] From the sound of it, you would be charged the same as if you sent a text to someone in the uk

[QUOTE=Ishwoo;41033341]Awesome, i remember reading somewhere that sending texts abroad doesn't actually cost your phone provider anything extra they just charge ridiculous amounts because they can[/QUOTE] The actual technical process doesn't cost your provider anything but at the moment any providers you have to use to get back to yours (ie the one in another country) can charge whatever they want for accessing their network, your carrier then passes it on.

About time.

I'm skeptical. Somehow I don't believe carriers are just going to let their customers get EU-wide internet access with national data plans. Perhaps this will be limited to pay-per-MB plans etc.

Why not the Estonian way? Just put free Wifi everywhere, or at least in the denser areas or at important routes.

[QUOTE=DrTaxi;41036937]I'm skeptical. Somehow I don't believe carriers are just going to let their customers get EU-wide internet access with national data plans. Perhaps this will be limited to pay-per-MB plans etc.[/QUOTE] If the law changes they will have no choice but to do what they say.

[QUOTE=Jsm;41037096]If the law changes they will have no choice but to do what they say.[/QUOTE] They are going to fight this proposal the best they can, and if it passes, they are going to find loopholes or just raise all their prices. Allowing other carriers' customers to use your capacities for free seems very costly.

[QUOTE=DrTaxi;41037231]They are going to fight this proposal the best they can, and if it passes, they are going to find loopholes or just raise all their prices. Allowing other carriers' customers to use your capacities for free seems very costly.[/QUOTE] Trust me, the EU [I]WILL[/I] punish them if they try any dickery. Remember, this isn't the US, they aren't stupid & corrupt, just out of touch at times.

[QUOTE=DrTaxi;41036937]I'm skeptical. Somehow I don't believe carriers are just going to let their customers get EU-wide internet access with national data plans. Perhaps this will be limited to pay-per-MB plans etc.[/QUOTE] The prices will not go up unless there is some cartel work involved. Besides, when you suddenly get 900 competitors you sort of want to keep the customers. Nothing to be skeptical about. Once it's law, it propagates EU-wide, carriers get told off, users rejoice.

[QUOTE=Protocol7;41033128]good I don't know how it is in Europe but in the U.S. cell providers cannot be likened to anything more than money grubbing assholes, so legislation that puts them in their place is welcome[/QUOTE] Well any national carrier in the US has a network about the size of Europe so it could be said that the US had a less scammy cell phone network this whole time This EU ruling would be like if the US had a different cell phone network in every state and then the federal government ruled to make it how it is now

[QUOTE=Murkrow;41037577]The prices will not go up unless there is some cartel work involved.[/QUOTE] And the EU has a history of cracking down on cartels. One i can remember on top of my head is the LCD panel one.

[QUOTE=Van-man;41037604]And the EU has a history of cracking down on cartels. One i can remember on top of my head is the LCD panel one.[/QUOTE] I believe that they were also responsible for making sure that micro-USB is a standard port for smartphones - they basically told all companies that users must be able to charge from micro-USB ports.

Tourism just got a lot easier now that i can use maps and call people

[QUOTE=Murkrow;41037577]The prices will not go up unless there is some cartel work involved. Besides, when you suddenly get 900 competitors you sort of want to keep the customers.[/QUOTE] Many national carriers are owned by international carriers (eg. Vodafone) and besides, losing revenue is something no carrier wants, so I predict carriers everywhere to raise their prices without any agreements necessary. After all, most customers can't just decide not to use a cellphone, and would pay more if they had no other choice. I don't expect many people to start using plans from other countries either - in many countries you cannot get a mobile plan without an address in that country, and so far, many carriers don't have international support services. Even if they started offering their services internationally, in effect they'd only be reselling other carriers' services as they only operate own networks in their home countries. [editline]14th June 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Str4fe;41037675]Tourism just got a lot easier now that i can use maps and call people[/QUOTE] I've just been getting a basic pay-as-you-go data plan whenever possible. Adding 10€ to your travel costs for internet access isn't all that much (and generally cheaper than hotel wifi anyway).

[QUOTE=Terminutter;41037625]I believe that they were also responsible for making sure that micro-USB is a standard port for smartphones - they basically told all companies that users must be able to charge from micro-USB ports.[/QUOTE] They should have come down on Apple for not following that, otherwise that was a great decision for people like me that tend to forget chargers

[QUOTE=Van-man;41037604]And the EU has a history of cracking down on cartels. One i can remember on top of my head is the LCD panel one.[/QUOTE] The EU fight cartels like the plauge, they stopped one involving soap recently. [editline]15th June 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=BreenIsALie;41038266]They should have come down on Apple for not following that, otherwise that was a great decision for people like me that tend to forget chargers[/QUOTE] Apple get away with it because they sell an adapter for like €10, so dumb.

[QUOTE=Jsm;41039105]Apple get away with it because they sell an adapter for like €10, so dumb.[/QUOTE] And that they'd throw a hissyfit if it had to be in the phone itself.

But the EU is evil!!!!