We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
MSE News: Mobile phones will be cheaper to use in the EU from tomorrow
Former_MSE_Helen
Posts: 2,382 Forumite
in Mobiles
This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:
"The price of making and receiving calls and sending and receiving texts in the EU is to be reduced tomorrow"
"The price of making and receiving calls and sending and receiving texts in the EU is to be reduced tomorrow"
0
Comments
-
So, when abroad in the |EU it cannot cost more than 31p+VAT per minute to make a call within the EU. Virgin will be raising their standard per minute charge to 40p for UK calls soon.Calls will cost no more than €0.35 (around 31p) per minute to make. This excludes VAT, down from €0.39.The price of sending a text will remain the same. It will cost no more than €0.11 (around 10p) per text, excluding VAT. Consumers cannot be charged to receive texts.
So, when abroad in the EU it cannot cost more than 10p+VAT to send a text. Virgin seem to be raising their standard text message charge to 15p from next month.
Does this mean that it could be cheaper to call and text from abroad than from the UK?
The regulations don't cover domestic charges within the same country then? Pitty.0 -
All these regulations ultimately result in prices rising somewhere else. I don't think that networks are super profitable businesses. They have to recover the huge amounts they pay on frequencies auctions.They used to use roaming for this. Now the most poor customers that don't go abroad and those who go abroad but don't use roaming will pay the price.0
-
All these regulations ultimately result is prices rising somewhere else. I don't think that networks are super profitable businesses. They have to recover the huge amounts they pay on frequencies auctions.They used to use roaming for this. Now the most poor customers that don't go abroad and those who go abroad but don't use roaming will pay the price.
Indeed, It is all the excuse the mobile operators need.
Massive price increases for PAYG users
Good point also, the poor on PAYG will suffer at the benefit of others.0 -
This begs the question as to whether call costs in the rest of Europe are cheaper than in the UK. If not and a similar situation is happening where roaming charges are cheaper than what some networks charge for domestic then maybe the EU have gone a bit far...
Maybe one solution to reducing costs is for the operators to stop subsidising handsets so much so people pay more upfront but less when they actually use the phone?0 -
My understanding is that in Cyprus you pay the full price for the phone and get calls that are a lot cheaper. Friend of mine used to take his old phones on holiday and sell them to local friends in Cyprus. What is does mean in countries that operate that model is that typically the average person has an older model handset than the UK.sghughes42 wrote: »Maybe one solution to reducing costs is for the operators to stop subsidising handsets so much so people pay more upfront but less when they actually use the phone?
We need to bear in mind that the EU has not yet set the reduction figures for 2012 but I think their target is roaming calls wil cost little or nothing more than calls on your home network.IT Consultant in the utilities industry specialising in the retail electricity market.
4 Credit Card and 1 Loan PPI claims settled for £26k, 1 rejected (Opus).0 -
Good to see that mobile operators are being compelled to reduce voice call roaming charges. However, with more and more smartphone users using their devices for data-intensive activities (web, social media, downloads) than voice calls, when is the EU going to turn it's attention to ridiculous data roaming charges?
I'm with the 3 network which is about the cheapest for this in the UK at £1.28 per MB......but even then basic web browsing and social media usage each day over a fortnight's holiday in Europe could amount to a very large bill.
This needs to be addressed also.
Te monthly contract inclusive allowances should really include minutes, texts and data across geographies - perhaps within the EU for European users. That would be real progress.0 -
I have to disagree, with VF in europe its £2/day (midnight to midnight or free if you are on a £40 or more tariff)) which gives you 25MB which works out at 8 pence per MB, if you want to use it every day then its £10 a month giving you 25MB per day. This works out at 33.3 pence per day (30 day month) and 1.3 pence per MB. Even over 2 weeks its only 71.4 pence per day or 2.6 pence per MB.I'm with the 3 network which is about the cheapest for this in the UK at £1.28 per MB......but even then basic web browsing and social media usage each day over a fortnight's holiday in Europe could amount to a very large bill.IT Consultant in the utilities industry specialising in the retail electricity market.
4 Credit Card and 1 Loan PPI claims settled for £26k, 1 rejected (Opus).0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 352.8K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.8K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 454.6K Spending & Discounts
- 245.9K Work, Benefits & Business
- 601.9K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.7K Life & Family
- 259.8K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards