EU may end all roaming charges

[inquisitor]

You are right. The EU plans indeed consider smaller operators who cannot offer Europe-wide single tariffs due to their limited geographical footprint. But as you and VladS have suggested above it has to be feared that the market for alternative roaming providers may suffer from discrimnation by the large multinational operators and that it may not be able to compete as long as it remains an alliance of regional underdogs.

[NFH]

Originally Posted by inquisitor

You are right. The EU plans indeed consider smaller operators who cannot offer Europe-wide single tariffs due to their limited geographical footprint.

The European Commission is suggesting that mobile networks form alliances, similar to airlines, in order to cover countries where they don't have their own networks.

This already happens to some extent. If you look at the preferred networks on any SIM card supplied by a European network, you will find one preferred network in each country as the result of commercial agreements between sister networks and even between independent networks. That's why, for example, when you roam with an O2 UK SIM card in Germany, it will always log on to O2 Germany unless there's no signal. Most modern phones don't let you see the preferred network list on the SIM, let alone edit it.

However, when all the above changes are introduced, I doubt that preferred networks will come into play, because we will probably be able to use only one network in each country. For example, O2 UK will not want its customers straying on to Vodafone in Germany which would cost it more money.

[NFH]

There have been several reports that the UK government is opposing the European Commission's plans, mainly relating to licensing auctions (from which the UK government makes more money than other countries), but also with regard to roaming charges.

http://crave.cnet.co.uk/mobiles/brit...rges-50012383/

http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=483485

http://www.mobileworldlive.com/repor...-telecoms-plan

http://www.cbronline.com/news/tech/n...ion-ban-011013

It is disappointing that the UK government is siding with the mobile networks, who stand to lose a huge amount of unwarranted profit on intra-EEA roaming, rather than protecting its electorate from unreasonable charges.

This isn't helped by the widespread British insular mentality that it's normal for everything "foreign" to cost more, whether it be outgoing/incoming bank transfers, comprehensive car insurance, credit card usage or cash withdrawals. For example, the UK government hasn't opted to include GBP in SEPA, unlike Sweden which opted to include SEK. I am often surprised by how many of my compatriots still believe there are customs controls for importing goods into the UK from other EU countries, even 20 years after such controls were abolished. While such a mentality remains, the UK will unfortunately continue to find intra-EEA roaming charges to be acceptable.

[rfranzq]

Originally Posted by NFH

For example, the UK government hasn't opted to include GBP in SEPA, unlike Sweden which opted to include SEK.

Not being European I did not have a clue about SEPA.

According to: http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionar...+Payments+Area

The UK is a part of SEPA.

[NFH]

Originally Posted by rfranzq

Not being European I did not have a clue about SEPA.

According to: http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionar...+Payments+Area

The UK is a part of SEPA.

Yes, the UK is part of SEPA, but GBP is not. Therefore UK banks have to charge cross-border EUR payments in the same way as intra-UK EUR payments, but this doesn't apply to GBP payments. Banks in Sweden on the other hand have to charge cross-border SEK or EUR payments in the same way as intra-Swedish SEK or EUR payments.

[NFH]

The Sydney Morning Herald is tomorrow reporting that Australia and New Zealand are following the European Commission's lead and cracking down on exorbitant roaming charges between the two countries:

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/tec...017-2vpej.html