EU's Reding seeks to slash cost of text roaming

"Rip off" mobile phone operators will be forced to slash by roughly two-thirds the cost of text messages for people travelling between European Union countries, the European Union bloc's executive arm said on Tuesday, reports Reuters.

"The 2.5 billion text messages sent every year by roaming customers in the EU cost more than 10 times more than domestic short messages (SMS), EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding said in a statement.

"EU citizens should be free to text across borders without being ripped off," she said.

Mobile firms hit roaming deadline

Mobile phone firms have reached a deadline to cut the price customers are charged for sending text messages in member countries of the European Union, reports the BBC.

EU plans new push to cut mobile charges

The European Commission plans to use new administrative powers to push national regulators to lower the fees that mobile operators can charge each other to connect calls between their networks. Much of the savings would be passed on to consumers.

[via IHT]

EU suggesting mobile phone users should pay to receive calls

European Union telecoms chief Viviane Reding has angered consumers after suggesting mobile phone users should pay to receive calls as well as make them, writes the Daily Mail.

"Despite previous moves to reduce high costs for mobile phone users, the Telecoms Commissioner has done an apparent u-turn by suggesting she would propose that Europeans pay to receive calls - a common practice in the United States, China and Singapore.

Ms Reding is also seeking to reduce the cost of text messaging for Europeans while they are abroad from their home country."

Warning over EU roaming charges

The European Union's telecoms chief has threatened to introduce measures slashing the costs of cross-border text-messaging if operators do not lower prices voluntarily by July 1. The Press Association reports.

"EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding insisted the costs of SMS and data roaming were too high and opaque and must come down because consumers are being ripped off.

Costs people pay for making mobile phone calls outside their home countries have dropped by up to 60% since the European Commission capped fees last September.

But the price cap does not cover mobile internet or some 200 billion text messages that are sent a year in western Europe."

Costs of Text Messaging vs. Space Transmissions

This is one of the stranger assumptions made about text messaging pricing. Via the NY Times The Lede Blog.

"Nigel Bannister, a space scientist at the University of Leicester in Britain, has concluded that sending a text message costs at least four times as much as transmitting scientific data from the Hubble telescope."

Dr Nigel Bannister’s calculations were used for the Channel 4 Dispatches program “The Mobile Phone Rip-Off”.

He worked out the cost of obtaining a megabyte of data from Hubble – and compared that with the 5p cost of sending a text.

He said: “The bottom line is texting is at least 4 times more expensive than transmitting data from Hubble, and is likely to be substantially more than that.

EU regulator threatens to go public with cellphone companies' fees

The European telecommunications regulator plans to name and shame operators that do not cut prices for roaming text messaging and wholesale data transmission by July 1. The IHT reports.

"I will look at all the tariffs available and put them on a Web site," the regulator, Viviane Reding, said Thursday in Paris. "That way, people will be able to see which ones have not lowered their prices."

Reding, the EU telecommunications commissioner, said she would submit regulation that could come into effect as early as the end of this year to ensure operators heeded her demands."

EU in new assault on 'rip-off' mobile phone charges

The European Union set mobile phone companies a July deadline on Monday to cut their roaming charges for text messages and Internet use or face regulation.

[via AFP]

EU sounds new alarm about mobile phone bills

Mobile phone users in Europe are often billed 20 percent more than the actual time of their calls because they are charged by the minute - even if they talk only 20 seconds, the European Commission said Thursday. The AFP reports.

Mobile operators to challenge law

The UK's four leading mobile operators were given clearance yesterday to take a challenge over the EU roaming law to the European Court of Justice.

02, Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile allege that Viviane Reding, European commissioner for telecoms, had no legal right to introduce the law, which forced the operators to cut the charges they impose on customers for calls outside their home countries.

A London high court judge agreed to refer the issue to the European court of justice.

[via the FT]

New EU rules to slash mobile phone calls abroad come into force

New rules aimed at slashing the price of mobile phone calls made abroad in the European Union come into effect this week, with EU regulators promising Monday to name and shame non-compliant companies. [via the AFP]

" Mobile phone operators had until midnight Monday to offer the new so-called roaming rates and by September 1 must bring them into effect whether customers request them or not.

An EU commission spokesman said that the mobile phone operators who did not offer the new rates would be named and shamed."

EU regulators drop mobile phone probe

The European Commission said Wednesday it had dropped its antitrust investigation into mobile phone roaming prices charged by operators in Britain and Germany after new EU rules forcing telecom companies to cut the cost of using mobile phones abroad. [From the Associated Press]

EU To Monitor Cellphone Bills For Abuses In Roaming Rules

The European Commission said Monday that it will monitor the cost of mobile phone use over the next 18 months to ensure operators don't unfairly raise fees to compensate for the price ceiling on international roaming calls, set to come into force this summer.

The commission also threatened to fix ceilings for the prices charged for using cross-border data networks unless operators slash their fees.

The commission will "continue to monitor prices, in particular for SMS and data roaming, to make sure consumers do not suffer in other ways," said E.U. Telecommunications Commissioner Viviane Reding, who has championed the price ceilings. "I hope that operators now understand the E.U.'s ability to act. My message to them: Move now and bring down SMS and data roaming charges down quickly, or we will be forced to also intervene there very shortly." Yay!

27 European Countries Approve Cell Phone Roaming Cap

The European Union governments approved a cap on cell phone roaming fees this week, but the move isn't likely to have much if any impact on U.S. cell phone callers traveling in European this summer. TechWeb reports.

"Approved Thursday, the new cap is scheduled to take effect in European countries in August. Rates will be capped at 66 cents a minute for outgoing calls and 33 cents a minute for incoming calls. The lid on roaming fees drops prices drastically and service providers have complained about the action.

The cap is not expected to impact roaming prices for U.S. travelers.

"Although this is great news for Europeans, the legislation does not protect foreign travelers with North American-based carriers," said a spokeswoman for Brightroam,"

EU parliament approves plans to slash roaming rates

The European Parliament adopted on Wednesday measures slashing so-called roaming rates by as much as 70 percent, a decision likely to cut the cost of cross-border mobile phone calls in coming months. [via the AFP]

Welcoming the vote, EU Telecommunications Commissioner Viviane Reding said: "This means that already from this summer, mobile phone customers will start benefiting from substantially reduced roaming charges when travelling from one EU country to another.

"Europe's internal market will finally become truly borderless, even for mobile phone bills,"she added.

European Union reaches deal to cap cell-phone roaming charges

European Union negotiators agreed Tuesday to cap mobile phone roaming charges in an effort to cut costs for travellers, reports the Canadian Press.

"Negotiators for the European Parliament and EU governments set the roaming cap at 0.49 euros (US66 cents) per minute for making a call when abroad and 0.24 euros (33 cents) per minute for receiving one, plus tax.

The deal still needs approval from the European Parliament and EU member countries. A vote in the EU assembly is expected next week. If passed, EU governments will likely vote on the proposal June 7-8."

EU fails to agree on cell phone roaming rules

According to Reuters, EU politicians and officials on Tuesday failed to resolve key details of a plan to cut the cost of calling abroad on cell phones.

"Representatives of the European Parliament, the Commission and member states tried to agree the levels at which price caps should be set and whether consumers should be automatically switched to the regulated rates.

"There has been no agreement today," an EU diplomat told Reuters. "There will be a second round of talks on May 2."

EU setback for mobile phone industry

The European mobile phone industry on Thursday suffered a setback when an influential parliamentary committee backed plans to slash the cost of cross-border calls. The FT reports.

"Legislators in Brussels voted to protect the EU's 479m mobile phone users from expensive fees to make and receive calls while travelling in European countries other than their own.

The industry committee in the European parliament called for maximum charges of EU0.4 per minute to make a call and EU0.15 per minute to receive one."

EU near deal on cell phone roaming fees

European Union governments are "within reach" of a deal to cut charges for mobile phones calls for cross-border travelers that could be in place before this year's summer vacation, the EU's telecoms chief said Wednesday, reports Business Week.

"The EU's 27 telecoms ministers meet Thursday at the yearly CeBIT technology show in Hanover, Germany, to thrash out an informal agreement that could set an upper limit for how much mobile phone companies can charge customers who use their phone in another EU country -- known as roaming fees.

This could pave the way for the law to be approved in early June, coming into force later that month or in early July."

"The goal of the regulation must be to protect customers from excessive roaming tariffs," said German Economy Minister Michael Glos.

French court upholds record fines for cellphone operators

The Cour d'Appel in Paris on Tuesday upheld record fines of €534 million against the three biggest French cellphone operators for conspiring to undermine competition. IHT reports.

"... UFC, which is leading a separate campaign for the introduction of class- action lawsuits in France, said that about 20 million cellphone users had been overbilled by at least €1.2 billion because of the cartel."

EU cites massive support on mobile phone costs

The European Commission will claim overwhelming public backing on Tuesday for its campaign to force mobile phone operators to slash charges for cross-border calls, reports Reuters.

"The European Union executive will produce updated evidence that mobile phone users continue to pay between four euros and six euros (2.70 and 4 pounds) for a four-minute call to a mobile phone in another EU country, four times higher than for national mobile calls.

A Eurobarometer opinion survey found 70 percent of Europeans want Brussels to intervene to ensure that prices for making and receiving mobile calls are not substantially higher than those at home, the Commission said."

EU adopts plan to slash mobile telephone roaming costs

The European Commission has agreed plans plans to slash the costs of using mobile telephones abroad, in the teeth of fierce opposition from the telecommunications industry, reports the AP.

"Under the plans, the commission will fix the wholesale rate that an operator can charge a foreign rival which uses its network on the behalf of a customer travelling abroad.

... The plan has been a flagship for Information Society and Media Commissioner Viviane Reding, and her quest to push mobile phone calls down has already forced changes among telecoms operators.

"For years, mobile roaming charges have remained at unjustifiably high levels, in spite of repeated warnings to the industry," she said. "This is why Europe needs to act now."

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EU to force mobile operators to slash roaming charges

Despite a fierce lobbying campaign by the telecoms industry, the European Commission is poised to force operators to slash the cost of mobile phone calls while abroad, officials say, reports the AFP.

"Upset that operators have ignored warnings to cut so-called "roaming" rates, the
European Union's executive arm is to carry out its threat to introduce measures aimed at cutting prices in half.

... Controversial new regulations to push prices lower, should be unveiled on Wednesday, which the industry has fought tooth-and-nail to avoid.

... Critics warned that the rule could have encouraged consumers to import SIM cards -- which, inserted into a mobile phone, manage which networks the caller can use and at what price -- from countries with the lowest rates."

Under EU pressure, mobile operators slash roaming fees

Bowing to pressure from EU competition authorities, six European mobile telephone operators (T-Mobile, Orange, Telecom Italia, Telenor, TeliaSonera and Wind) announced that they had taken steps to reduce the cost for consumers of making mobile phone calls when travelling abroad. [via the AFP]

"According to commission data, the international roaming prices for making a four-minute peak-time call from abroad in Europe in October 2005 were on average between four and six euros (five to 7.70 dollars).

Some calls cost as much as 13 euros, and consumers are also charged a "considerable" amount for receiving a call on their mobile phone while abroad.

The six European operators agreed to cap the average wholesale rates they offer each other for providing roaming services at 0.45 euros per minute as of October 2006 and 0.36 euros per minute from October 2007."

Related articles:

-- EU crackdown on call charges abroad

-- Ireland puts roaming proposal to EU leaders

-- Watchdogs back EU move to cut mobile phone fees

-- French competition watchdog in favour of wholesale text msg cost cuts

-- Watchdogs back EU move to cut mobile phone fees

-- European ruling set to cut cost of using mobile phones abroad

-- Ofcom looks into roaming mobile charges

-- Britons 'fleeced' for right to roam with mobiles

-- Roaming' charges: an obstacle to a Europe-wide mobile phone network

Swiss Officials Threaten to Fine Swisscom

Swiss authorities have threatened to fine telecommunications company Swisscom AG 489 million Swiss francs ($376 million) for allegedly overcharging mobile phone customers who receive calls originating from other phone networks, the company said Monday, according to the Associated Press.

"Switzerland's Competition Commission alleges Swisscom misused its dominant position in the Swiss mobile phone market by demanding so-called termination fees at excessively high rates, the Bern-based former monopoly said in a statement."

EU crackdown on call charges abroad

The European commission is announcing a crackdown on excessive charges for using mobile phones abroad, reports ICNorth London online.

"Proposed new laws are designed to force mobile phone companies to slash their international "roaming charges" to levels close to prices charged for domestic calls between different mobile networks.

The move follows months of warnings to mobile phone operators from EU Telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding. Last October she launched an EU website publicising the "unjustifiable" charges travellers face when making and receiving calls on their mobile phones in other European countries."

Ireland puts roaming proposal to EU leaders

Ireland has put a proposal to the meeting of EU leaders in Brussels, calling for the cost of mobile phones made abroad to be cut or even scrapped, reports Ireland Online.

"...The Irish proposal lends support to the European Commission's expected announcement next week of an outline regulation to bring down roaming charges, seen as a money-spinner for mobile phone companies but a bane for business travellers and tourists."

Related: Watchdogs back EU move to cut mobile phone fees

French competition watchdog in favour of wholesale text msg cost cuts

Forbes reports that the French competition commission said it is in favour of telecom regulator Arcep intervening to lower the wholesale cost of text messaging.

"Arcep, which wants to regulate the wholesale text message market following widespread customer complaints about high prices, asked the commission to review the matter in January."

Make Texting Cheaper - show your support

Make Texting Cheaper has put up an electronic petition to allow UK mobile users to protest the outrageous amounts that wireless operators charge for SMS. [via Alfie's Blog]

Watchdogs back EU move to cut mobile phone fees

Telecoms watchdogs are backing European Union moves to make it cheaper for people to use their mobile phones abroad, a top industry regulator said on Thursday, reports Reuters.

"Kip Meek, Chairman of the European Regulators Group, said another key challenge will be to analyze the impact of Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VOIP), which allows people to make calls over the Web for a nominal cost.

"It's a disruptive technology. It's a wonderful thing, but it raises regulatory issues that need to be addressed," he said."