EU may end all roaming charges

[inquisitor]

ROAMING:

• Operators will lose the right to charge for incoming calls while a user is travelling abroad in EU, and additionally face a choice between a carrot and a stick.
  
• The carrot is that they can be largely free of European regulation, if they extend their domestic plans/bundles from 2014 so that by July 2016 at the latest customers are able to use their phones and smartphones while travelling through the EU at domestic rates. There will be a glidepath from July 2014 allowing operators to adapt either the number of plans they offer or the number of countries they cover at domestic rates
  
• The stick is being subject to the 2012 roaming regulation which forces companies to offer their customers the possibility to roam with new competitors (alternative roaming providers)as of July 2014. Form this date, acustomer will have the right to leave their domestic operator when travelling and take cheaper roaming services from a local company or a rival company in the home country.
  
• Operators should take advantage of the opportunities to offer Roam Like at Home to their consumers. The Commission will review the implementation of the Roaming regulation in 2016 and may consider further Regulatory options.

Given that the technical implementation of the possibility to select an alternative roaming provider is quite complex and expensive (no matter if realized by "single IMSI", "single IMSI+", "dual IMSI" or for data "local break-out" - all explained here on p. 8) I wonder if any operator will pursue this path or if they will prefer the "carrot".

[NFH]

Originally Posted by inquisitor

Given that the technical implementation of the possibility to select an alternative roaming provider is quite complex and expensive (no matter if realized by "single IMSI", "single IMSI+", "dual IMSI" or for data "local break-out" - all explained here on p. 8) I wonder if any operator will pursue this path or if they will prefer the "carrot".

Let's hope that at least one "alternative roaming provider" becomes available, otherwise all the networks opt to allow this instead, and will then say that it's not their fault that there are no "alternative roaming providers".

[VladS]

Originally Posted by NFH

Let's hope that at least one "alternative roaming provider" becomes available, otherwise all the networks opt to allow this instead, and will then say that it's not their fault that there are no "alternative roaming providers".

Unless the whole EU market switches to the 'stick', the few brave "alternative roaming providers" that choose to come online don't stand much of a chance in the long term and will likely end up in the same boat as United Mobile and the other roaming SIM pioneers.

Incumbents will make it very difficult and pricey for such providers to interconnect with their networks and to operate in general. A good example is the implementation of exorbitant certification fees and longer trouble resolution for third party access customers. We're seeing this as we speak in Eastern Canada with third party IPS' sharing the incumbent's cable network (an incumbent's customer problem gets fixed in 6-24 hours while third party customers my have to wait for up to four weeks to get the same issue resolved).

[smudge]

The GSMA Group pleads the right to save its roaming cash cow and to continue fleecing its clients "thoroughly and comprehensively":

A European trade group reacted, saying lawmakers should focus on "increased investment in Europe's telecoms infrastructure," rather than elimination of roaming fees.

Europe required a "more thorough and comprehensive approach," said Anne Bouverot, director general of the GSMA group, the Times reported.

EC president supports plan to phase out roaming fees [UPDATE] - UPI.com