Eu Commission Has Dental Problems

[powerlifter]

As we speak I am trying to call a cellphone using Cingular in Kyrgyzstan. All I am getting is a ringing and then two clicks, and the phone goes to dead air. I bet My boss will have a huge phone bill when he gets back. Each time I call it charges it's outrages phone charges. Of course we work for the govt. so the tax payers have to foot the bill. :ranting2:

[Przemolog]

Originally Posted by snaimon

I agree this is a stunning statement, but it is in part true.

Hmm, both issues i.e bean counters' behaviour and doubts about legality of cheaper calling are not shocking to me by themselves, but because they are strongly contradicting with the image of the USA as the country of rational economic decisions and entrepreneurship

[Przemolog]

Originally Posted by snaimon

BASICALLY, UM #s are hard to reach -- one German reseller is in the process of migrating customers from UM to someone else

I think that buying UM (or other SIMs of that kind, available from European dealers) is not any harder that buying any "Internet-based" national SIM.

Originally Posted by snaimon

-- NO Germany #s available from any of these --

As well as no French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Dutch, Russian, Ukrainian, nor from over other 200 countries/territories....

Originally Posted by snaimon

calls to IS, IOM, FL, ES from mobiles are exhorbitant

In fact this just means nothing more that international rates from German mobiles to call also [u]regular[/q] mobile phones in those countries are exorbitant. These are not countries in the middle of nowhere but European countries (and FL is almost a neighbour of Germany). Moreover, Estonia is in EU, IoM (from "the telecommunication point of view") too, and FL and Iceland belongs (with Norway) to "wider EU" i.e. European Economic Area. My point is that there's not only a problem of roaming rates but also a problem of international rates. National regulators and Ms Reding - please wake up! :umm:

Originally Posted by snaimon

and with 09 he can't even find the rates and the site is not confidence-inspiring.

There are rates on 09.is but I agree as to the order form page.

Originally Posted by snaimon

When and if the roaming discounters have a guaranteed source of procuring capacity from the national providers thru proper regulatory means, only then will we see sharply falling prices and only then will there be attractive and usable offers for German consumers.

Does this simply mean: German (and I think not only German :P) consumers are so lazy that they prefer to overpay than to change their habits...

[snaimon]

Originally Posted by Przemolog

Hmm, both issues i.e bean counters' behaviour and doubts about legality of cheaper calling are not shocking to me by themselves, but because they are strongly contradicting with the image of the USA as the country of rational economic decisions and entrepreneurship

Admit this is slightly OT, but.....

Our wonderful(?!) US Administration, paragon of REPUBLICAN entrepreneurial spirit and innovation, has managed to turn a ~ $600 Billiom (Milliarden) budget surplus into a multi-trillion $ deficit in a matter of 5 years.

Some people might call that rational economic decision-making and entrepreneurship. I have other names for it that are not so nice.

Just like USA, champion of human rights!

I have belonged to Amnesty International since ~ 1976. Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine Guantanamo and the other XXXX the so-called USA government has been doing.


:ranting2: :ranting2:

Can you EVER forgive us?

[snaimon]

Originally Posted by Przemolog

I think that buying UM (or other SIMs of that kind, available from European dealers) is not any harder that buying any "Internet-based" national SIM.


As well as no French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Dutch, Russian, Ukrainian, nor from over other 200 countries/territories....


In fact this just means nothing more that international rates from German mobiles to call also [u]regular[/q] mobile phones in those countries are exorbitant. These are not countries in the middle of nowhere but European countries (and FL is almost a neighbour of Germany). Moreover, Estonia is in EU, IoM (from "the telecommunication point of view") too, and FL and Iceland belongs (with Norway) to "wider EU" i.e. European Economic Area. My point is that there's not only a problem of roaming rates but also a problem of international rates. National regulators and Ms Reding - please wake up! :umm:


There are rates on 09.is but I agree as to the order form page.


Does this simply mean: German (and I think not only German :P) consumers are so lazy that they prefer to overpay than to change their habits...

Thanks for the follow-up.

Good points. Why don't you post your questions and comments over on teltarif? THEIR comments, not mine. I have posted a small rebuttal. This was actually the second time they recently wrote on roaming and failed to mention any of these options. It is true that they report and reported about some of these. HOWEVER, you have to DO something rather than lament. Like the Amnesty motto about lighting a candle is better than cursing the darkness.

They want a perfect solution and this does not yet exist.

Another poster there mentioned that UM is in talks with E+ to launch an option with a German home #. Planned for later this year. Also SECONDED my note about the existence and usefulness of such cards.

Yackie allows US, UK and French home #s. GT-SIM allows ONE home country.

Over on telefon-treff.de a poster asked about the best German SIM for roaming while on vacation in Sweden. I answered in part to look at the international cards. Another posted also seconded my suggestion.

Bottom line IMHO.... many people, even Europeans, don't know about these options. Again, IMHO, teltarif should be doing all in its power to publicize these deals..... and they are not doing that.

As DRN suggested, until the consumer acts differently, the national operators are not going to change..... unless change is forced upon them. But it does not look as if the EU will be doing anything meaningful any time soon.

The original Teltarif editorial suggests that roaming prices are going to RISE instead of falling because of the proposed EU commission actions.

To beat the problem you mention with INTERNATIONAL RATES I have always recommended calling cards. Some have local access #s as well as toll free. These work well with BEST FRIEND or XTRA ONE tarif classes.

Lazy..... Yes, not only Germans, but others, including USA consumers.

Stan

[Przemolog]

Originally Posted by snaimon

Thanks for the follow-up.
Good points. Why don't you post your questions and comments over on teltarif?

I can't - simply I don't know German :P.

Originally Posted by snaimon

THEIR comments, not mine.

I know it - these were just my quick impressions on the subject

Originally Posted by snaimon

They want a perfect solution and this does not yet exist.

I think it may never exist. If you have 5 cents/min on-net calls in your home country, you can't have free incoming calls abroad with the same SIM unless foreign terminations rates drop below 4 cents - just a quick and dirty example .

Originally Posted by snaimon

Another poster there mentioned that UM is in talks with E+ to launch an option with a German home #. Planned for later this year. Also SECONDED my note about the existence and usefulness of such cards.

Nice idea, but I suppose that those UM/E+ numbers will be either billed as mobile off-net numbers for any German operator or incoming calls won't be free.

Originally Posted by snaimon

Yackie allows US, UK and French home #s. GT-SIM allows ONE home country.

But GT-sim doesn't offer the number from that country - it's still IoM mobile....

Originally Posted by snaimon

Bottom line IMHO.... many people, even Europeans, don't know about these options.

Yes, and even if they know, they often react "Calling Liechtenstein? It's so expensive" :P

Originally Posted by snaimon

The original Teltarif editorial suggests that roaming prices are going to RISE instead of falling because of the proposed EU commission actions.

I wouldn't exclude that but I don;t want to worry in advance.

Originally Posted by snaimon

To beat the problem you mention with INTERNATIONAL RATES I have always recommended calling cards. Some have local access #s as well as toll free. These work well with BEST FRIEND or XTRA ONE tarif classes.
Lazy..... Yes, not only Germans, but others, including USA consumers.

Calling cards or callbacking services are not for lazy people, I think

[AndreA]

Originally Posted by andy

"The European Commission (EC) has watered down plans to force mobile operators in Europe to slash the cost of using a mobile phone abroad. "

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/14/eu_roaming/

This is a happy moment... for Um, Travelsim & the other international companies

[andy]

Expect an new announcement on 12th July

http://www.cellular-news.com/story/18161.php

[snaimon]

teltarif.de has 2 stories.... both from the industy viewpoint.

FREE INBOUND is going to kill them - TMO boss says. BITKOM totally against new roaming regulations. The market place will fix it all.

.............. noise, noise, noise. Time will tell.

Stan