EU may end all roaming charges

[NFH]

Originally Posted by andy

Also they will protect what is referred to a net neutrality, there can be no systems of charging some people extra for preferential access to the internet, or blocking data access to competing products such as VoIP

I'm going a bit off-topic, but I stayed in a hotel last week where the hotel's internet provider had blocked SIP and all non-standard ports. When I told the hotel, they quickly got me another login where all ports were open. I wonder whether the regulations will apply to hotels as well?

[NFH]

I found the draft legislation, Article 37 of this draft regulation (see pages 61 to 66), which comprises many amendments to the well known Regulation (EU) No 531/2012. The most notable points I've spotted are:

• Home networks will have to apply to all their respective retail packages the applicable domestic service rate to both domestic services and regulated roaming services throughout the EEA as if the regulated roaming services were consumed on the home network and ensure that this is complied with when roaming on at least one network in each EEA country. For example O2 UK will apply this in Spain only when roaming on Movistar, because it is also owned by Telefonica. The principle of "virtual extension of the home network coverage" is mentioned.
• Networks can apply fair usage policies to roaming at domestic prices. Three UK already does this for example.
• Home networks don't have to agree bilateral agreements for roaming at domestic prices in all EEA countries, but in only 17 member states representing 70% of the population of the EEA. This is probably means that roaming charges in some small parts of the EU like Gibraltar will not improve.
• Incoming calls will be free from 1st July 2014.

I might have missed some significant points, so I hope others will add more observations below.

[wco81]

Originally Posted by NFH

I'm going a bit off-topic, but I stayed in a hotel last week where the hotel's internet provider had blocked SIP and all non-standard ports. When I told the hotel, they quickly got me another login where all ports were open. I wonder whether the regulations will apply to hotels as well?

Yeah I've run into that too.

But a more common problem, besides the cumbersome login procedures, is that the speeds are horrible, sometimes under 1 Mbps down, maybe .15 Mbps up.

If you can use the lower-priced mobile data bundles across the EU, more people may just not bother with Hotel Wifi.

[UKSTEVE]

I was chatting to a friendly UK dealer last week - he says that, when imposed free roaming comes in, the European networks will copy the US (AT&T/T-Mobile?) flat-rate global roaming deal and offer EDGE (GPRS) free - then ask for a per-gigabyte payment for 3G and 4G services...

Seems a bit sharp practice, but atypical of the cellcos IMHO.

[NFH]

Originally Posted by UKSTEVE

I was chatting to a friendly UK dealer last week - he says that, when imposed free roaming comes in, the European networks will copy the US (AT&T/T-Mobile?) flat-rate global roaming deal and offer EDGE (GPRS) free - then ask for a per-gigabyte payment for 3G and 4G services...

I don't think that would comply with the legislation, which obliges the networks to charge the same for intra-EEA roaming as they charge for domestic usage. For example, if they charge €10 for 1GB of 4G data domestically, then they must charge the same when roaming on 4G within the EEA.