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.

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]

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]

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]

Roaming charges change your personality!

The cost of using a mobile phone abroad causes many of us to suppress our usual personalities, making us anxious and irritable. That's what SIM4Travel tells us - and they should know, because they've had research conducted by BMRB and they've spoken to psychologist Donna Dawson (who, incidentally, has also commented recently on living abroad, smiling and shopping with children. But I digress). Apparently we should be watching out for mood swings, sulks, snappiness and tension while abroad. It's not a topic we'll be bringing up with James Tagg in tomorrow's podcast interview. [Press release]

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.

3 connects a million mobile broadband users in Europe

Mobile network 3 says it's now connected one million mobile broadband customers across its networks in Europe. It's also taken the opportunity to talk about its ‘3 Like Home’ roaming deal, which lets customers pay discounted rates while using 3's services abroad. [Source: 3G.co.uk]

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 proposes roaming SMS caps and looks at data costs

The European Commission says the 2.5 billion text messages sent every year by roaming customers in the EU cost over 10 times more than they would have done at home. It's not happy with recent responses from networks and is therefore proposing cuts to the cost of SMS messages sent when abroad. It's also looking to find a solution to excessively high bills from mobile internet usage when roaming. The new measures are expected to be published in the autumn and could become law within 12 months. A price cap of between €0.11 and €0.15 per SMS (about 14p inc. VAT) is being talked about. The Commission has also launched a roaming website to explain the prices currently charged to consumers who use their mobile phone for sending texts or surfing the web in the EU. [Press release]

VoIP company Vyke disagrees with GSMA's roaming statement

Voice-over-IP operator Vyke says the GSM Association's recent roaming figures show mobile networks shouldn't be complaining about potential EC charge caps. In a press release titled "Blind as bats", it also says the networks' shareholders should welcome the threat of regulation. [Press release]

Mobile broadband jeopardised by regulation?

The GSM Association, the trade group that represents over 750 mobile operators worldwide, says the European Commission's regulations are causing networks to cut back on their spending - which could slow down the deployment of new networks. It says the EC claims operators need to have charges capped because of excessive profits, but the European mobile industry's return on capital employed was just 9% in 2006 (compared with more than 20% in other sectors) and was no higher in 2007. It also points out that usage hasn't substantially increased despite the introduction of roaming caps, with roaming call volumes increasing by 11% in the year to July 2008 but roaming revenue from voice calls decreasing by 26%. [Press release]

EU 'data roaming' dealine passes

We've just passed the European Commission's deadline - 1st July 2008 - for mobile networks to reduce the charge of using data services abroad. So - what happens next? [Source: The Guardian]

Ofcom publishes mobile travel tips

Ofcom has published a guide to help customers avoid unexpectedly high bills when using mobile phone services abroad. There's a downloadable pdf and a video, too. [Press release]

EC warns about roaming SMS regulation

EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding has said she'll regulate the cost of sending text messages when 'roaming' on other European networks if the networks themselves don't cut costs by July. She also acknowledged that her plans for a 'super-regulator' in Europe were unpopular, saying she would not proceed with them. [Sources: Press Association via Google; Reuters]

Data usage growing in Europe

The GSM Association says Europe's mobile data market grew by 40% in 2007, hitting 7 billion Euro, according to recent research from AT Kearney. The number of 3G users in the EU doubled to 112 million in the 12 months to April 2008, which means 22.5% of Europeans are using 3G, compared with 18.4% in North America and 3.7% in the Asia Pacific region. It's estimated that the average retail cost of data roaming fell in the EU by 25% over that period, while 'roamed' data traffic grew by 75%. [Source: press release]

Roamers outside Europe paying more for calls

The introduction of the European Commission's cap on roaming call charges last year has led to increasing costs for other calls made abroad. That's the opinion of analysts at Informa Telecoms & Media. They say European mobile operators have raised the price of making 'roamed' calls from other countries into the European Union by as much as 163% over the last couple of years. 15% of EU customers making 'roamed' calls are travelling outside the EU. [Source: Telecoms.com]

EU to publish roaming data charge comparison

The EU telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding says she plans to publish the 'roaming' charges for text messages and data services online, with regulations planned for the end of this year if the charges aren't acceptable. She says the price of a text message sent while outside your home country should be no more than 0.12 Euro (about 10p plus VAT). [Source: IHT.com]