EC issues Mobile TV guidelines

The European Commission has published a set of guidelines to help the launch of Mobile Television services across Europe. It says regulators and governments should consider the quality of service when awarding licences and it recommends that non-proprietary technology is used so that DVB-H based Mobile TV services can work in every EU country. [Press release]

EC moves closer to capping 'roaming' SMS charges

As anticipated, the Council of EU Telecoms Ministers has endorsed the European Commission's plans to reduce consumer charges for sending text messages and downloading data via mobile phones while 'roaming' abroad in the EU. If the plans (known as the Roaming II Agreement) are passed by the European Parliament in spring they could become law next summer. The EC's proposal includes:

• capping the cost of sending a text message at 11 Euro cents (excluding VAT),
• automatically sending an text message explaining the charges when you travel abroad,
• offering a pre-set limit for roamed data charges from 2010,
• further reducing the cost of 'roaming' voice calls in 2009 and 2010,
• introducing per-second billing after 30 seconds for all calls made, and
• introducing per-second billing for all calls received.

[Press release 1; Press release 2]

EC decision on data roaming charges expected soon

The EC's plans for a cap on European data 'roaming' charges are expected to be agreed tomorrow, according to the International Herald Tribune. It says cross-border text message charges could to drop to 11 Euro cents (about 10.6p incl. VAT) from July 2009 - and there could be a similarly dramatic drop in data usage, too.

EC looking at VoIP blocking by mobile networks

The European Commission has asked mobile phone networks whether (and how) they're blocking VoIP calls - voice calls over the internet. The action is thought to be the prelude to a possible formal investigation. [Source: IHT.com]

EC plans mobile TV action soon

In an interview with EurActiv.com, European Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding has said the EC will soon 'fix the rules' for mobile television in Europe.

Austrian mobile networks criticise EU roaming caps

Mobilkom Austria, T-Mobile Austria and Orange (Austria) have published research that shows the EC's capping of 'roaming' costs has led to significant losses and no significant increase in usage. They say the roaming regulation is having a negative effect on Austria's mobile industry. [Sources: Telecoms.com; TradingMarkets.com]

Europeans are ditching fixed-line phones for mobiles

A European Commission study says about a quarter of homes in the EU have a mobile phone but no fixed-line connection. There's a higher proportion in Eastern Europe: 39% of households are mobile-only, compared to a fifth of homes in Western Europe - although in Finland, 61% of households only have mobiles. The report also says last year there were nearly 112 handsets for every 100 European residents. A report a couple of weeks ago put the US number of mobile-only households at 17%. [Source: Cellular-News.com]

Ofcom expresses concerns about EC termination plans

Ofcom and the government Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform say that the European Commission's plans to cut termination rates could cause problems for people on low incomes. In a joint statement, the two organisations said cutting cross-network termination charges could result in lower bills for the caller but higher costs for the person receiving the call. This could mean that costs were increased, particularly for prepay tariffs. Ofcom added that it has already agreed mobile phone termination rates in the UK until 2011 and it is reluctant to alter those rates now. [Ofcom pdf document]

Europe prepares to cap costs for text and data when roaming

European telecomms commissioner Viviane Reding has confirmed that she wants to cap charges for text messages at a maximum of 9p+VAT when roaming in Europe and will force operators to bill cross-border voice calls by the second. She also aims to restrict data charges to 79p+VAT per megabyte. These proposals will be voted on by the European Parliament in spring next year and could become by summer 2009. [Sources: Mobile News; TheRegister.co.uk]

EC takes action against telecoms regulators in Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden

The European Commission has opened infringement proceedings against Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden because of concerns about the independence and effectiveness of telecoms regulators in these countries. [Press release]

EU roaming texts to cost 10p?

EC telecommunications commissioner Viviane Reding 's draft plans for capping the cost of text messages when 'roaming' are proposing an 11 Euro cent (10.5p inc VAT) limit, according to reports. Her plans also mandate per-second billing for all calls of 30 seconds or longer - and, in addition, she wants to extend the cap on roaming call costs until 2013. The proposal will receive its first formal response when EC telecommunications ministers meet on 27th November. [Source: EUbusiness.com]

Vodafone hits back at European Commission

A report in the Financial Times says Vodafone is hitting back at the European Commission’s plans for telecoms reform. In June, telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding criticised the level of termination charges and suggested that the American system of low termination rates and paying to receive calls might be more appropriate. Vodafone says termination charges need to be cut… but if they're cut as low as the EC suggests, 40 million people could end up dumping their mobiles because of increased charges elsewhere.

EC unhappy with 'per minute' charges

The European Commission says it may restrict networks from charging 'per minute' for calls. EC spokesman Martin Selmayr said 'per minute' charging means the average consumer in Europe is paying 24% percent more than the minutes they actually use to make calls - and 19% more for receiving calls. Currently only France, Lithuania, Portugal and Spain have legislation requiring per-second billing, although some other countries also offer it. The GSM Association says the billing increment doesn't matter as long as consumers are aware. [Sources: EurActiv.com; EUobserver.com]

Roaming prices drop again today

The EC capped price for making and receiving mobile phone calls when 'roaming' abroad in Europe is about to drop again, a year after the cap was introduced. (There's more information about cutting the cost of calls abroad in our special podcast). [EC press release]

New podcast: top ten tips for taking your mobile abroad

This week we've recorded a special Mobile News podcast for the summer holidays. We've included advice about 'roaming' charges, Voicemail use, top-up services, prepay SIMs and loads of other useful guidance. Download it and discover our top ten tips for taking your phone abroad: essential information whether you're advising customers or planning your own escape! As always, the broadcast can be found at TheFonecast.com, on the Mobile News website, via iTunes or on our RSS feed.

EC may not cap data roaming charges

The European Commission's director general for Information Society and Media has said he favours clearer pricing and usage information for mobile data. Fabio Colasanti said networks should make customers aware of how much data they're using and the costs involved when they're abroad - but he felt that imposing a regulatory cap on charging could adversely affect the market. [Sources: Silicon.com, ZDNet.co.uk]

GSM Association responds to EU SMS statement

The GSM Association isn't happy with the European Commission's plans to cap SMS charges when roaming. It says the average price of text roaming fell by 18% last year, with the proposed regulations threatening to choke growth and stifle competition. [Press release]

EU investigates ringtone providers

The European Union's crackdown on ringtone providers really does affect as many UK companies as the Sunday Times had previously suggested. In the UK, 39 out of the 43 websites checked need further investigation. Overall, of the 500 websites visited in 27 countries, 80% need further investigation for suspected breaches of EU consumer rules. The EU said almost 50% of all the sites checked had irregularities about price; over 70% were lacking contact information and over 60% of websites checked were misleading. All offending websites will be contacted by their national regulator; a follow-up report is expected in 2009. [Press release; FAQ]

90% of UK ringtone web sites are misleading?

The Sunday Times says the European Commission is preparing to investigate a number of websites selling ringtones in the UK and in Europe. It claims over 90% of UK web sites selling mobile ringtones are misleading children and teenagers with unclear charges and confusing information, committing their customers to subscription services when they just expect a single payment.

European parliament disagrees with EC telecoms super-regulator

The Industry, Research and Energy Committee of the European Parliament, along with the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, have voted on the European Commission's proposals to reform the EU Telecom rules. They've voted to create a new organisation that'll see independent telecoms regulators working together - instead of supporting the European Commission's plans for a so-called super-regulator. Although this isn't the final part of the process, the European Parliament is likely to follow their recommendations later this year. The new group will be known as the Body of European Regulators for Telecommunications, or 'BERT'. [EU press release; European Parliament press release]