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MATHA531 · 09-05-2006, 11:18

I think ATT Wireless was the first one to have free nationwide roaming with their old "One Rate Plan." I signed up for it in 1997. It gave me 1,500 minutes I could use nationwide for about $170 out the door. (They billed it at $150, but then had the taxes, fees, ...). There were no free nights or weekend. Then came Verizon Single Rate. Sprint's claim to fame was that it was the first plan of this nature marketed at consumers rather than business. To get this plan in 1997, I had to enroll as a business.

I think the goal of the EU is to make the member states more like Canadian provinces where the national government sets currency decisions, common defense decisions, border decisions, and trade decisions. The Provinces can dictate language, culture, and domestic legal issues. Perhaps Swiss Cantons might be an even better example.

Stu

Reading some more of this...

T Mobile UK is pushing its new rate plan for roaming...only a flat 55p/minute to roam throughout Europe, US and Canada.

I say, big deal....55p using the rate of $1.85 to ?1 comes out to be $1.02 US...

T Mobile US with its world class rates, which we all know are ridiculouosly high, charges $0.99/minute so this move by T Mobile UK is hardly a bargain (although compared to some of the roaming rates on UK carriers I suppose it is)...

Also the lady in the eu who is in charge of the roaming controversy seems to be saying she will only be satisfied when all roaming fees among European carriers are kaput including the free reception of calls throughout the eu.

Obviously these moves by T Mobile UK and Vodafone are desperate attempts on their part to head off the eu and eat into their cash machines..

We had similar stuff in the US...not too long ago packages basically included a local calling area where one's minutes were used and then outside the local area you were roaming....the concept of free roaming throughout the USA started I believe with sprint and then spread throughout so that today in the USA on contract mobile phones, there are essentially few roaming charges on the major carriers throughout the country...every call is a "local" call and when you're outside your home area you don't pay to receive calls (although in the US unlike Europe receiving calls come off your "free" minutes; although in most cases today you get unlimited weekends and unlimited night calling starting after 2100). The only thing the US is not so big on prepaid and none of the prepaid plans allow international roaming today....apparently the ultimate goal of the eu is to make the national borders more or less like states in the USA so that if you cross from France to Belgium to Holland, it is really no different than crossing from New York to New Jersey to Pennsylvania; everybody would be a european just like here everybody is an American. Thoe mobile phones seem one part of their grand equation in this.

JMHO

	(#6)
MATHA531 (Offline) Senior Member Prepaid Specialist Posts: 869 Join Date: 15 Oct 2004 Country:	09-05-2006, 11:18 I think ATT Wireless was the first one to have free nationwide roaming with their old "One Rate Plan." I signed up for it in 1997. It gave me 1,500 minutes I could use nationwide for about $170 out the door. (They billed it at $150, but then had the taxes, fees, ...). There were no free nights or weekend. Then came Verizon Single Rate. Sprint's claim to fame was that it was the first plan of this nature marketed at consumers rather than business. To get this plan in 1997, I had to enroll as a business. I think the goal of the EU is to make the member states more like Canadian provinces where the national government sets currency decisions, common defense decisions, border decisions, and trade decisions. The Provinces can dictate language, culture, and domestic legal issues. Perhaps Swiss Cantons might be an even better example. Stu Reading some more of this... T Mobile UK is pushing its new rate plan for roaming...only a flat 55p/minute to roam throughout Europe, US and Canada. I say, big deal....55p using the rate of $1.85 to ?1 comes out to be $1.02 US... T Mobile US with its world class rates, which we all know are ridiculouosly high, charges $0.99/minute so this move by T Mobile UK is hardly a bargain (although compared to some of the roaming rates on UK carriers I suppose it is)... Also the lady in the eu who is in charge of the roaming controversy seems to be saying she will only be satisfied when all roaming fees among European carriers are kaput including the free reception of calls throughout the eu. Obviously these moves by T Mobile UK and Vodafone are desperate attempts on their part to head off the eu and eat into their cash machines.. We had similar stuff in the US...not too long ago packages basically included a local calling area where one's minutes were used and then outside the local area you were roaming....the concept of free roaming throughout the USA started I believe with sprint and then spread throughout so that today in the USA on contract mobile phones, there are essentially few roaming charges on the major carriers throughout the country...every call is a "local" call and when you're outside your home area you don't pay to receive calls (although in the US unlike Europe receiving calls come off your "free" minutes; although in most cases today you get unlimited weekends and unlimited night calling starting after 2100). The only thing the US is not so big on prepaid and none of the prepaid plans allow international roaming today....apparently the ultimate goal of the eu is to make the national borders more or less like states in the USA so that if you cross from France to Belgium to Holland, it is really no different than crossing from New York to New Jersey to Pennsylvania; everybody would be a european just like here everybody is an American. Thoe mobile phones seem one part of their grand equation in this. JMHO