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MSE News: New rules could slash data roaming costs abroad

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in Mobiles
This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:
"Mobile operators could be forced to cut data roaming costs under new EU proposals"
"Mobile operators could be forced to cut data roaming costs under new EU proposals"
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Call and data costs may be cut but something else will rise to counter it. Hardly "Consumer victory"
At some point it will become unsustainable.
And why has the EU got such a bee in it's bonnet about mobile rates? They should take a look at beer - £7 pint in some parts of France!
I understanding needing a mobile for a possible emergency or sending a quick 'All is fine' text but why should we keep paying more in the UK because of this?
Can't people leave them off and enjoy what they pay for? A Holiday!
£1 of debt is too much for me!
I use mobile internet with my laptop. Most of the discussion seems to refer to handheld devices. I hope I will benefit from the changes too. Really? That's a sweeping generalisation which may apply to you but not necessarily to 'most people'. I know I spend more than 'one or two weeks of the year tops' outside the UK.
Well if that's the case then buy a local SIM card which would still no doubt be cheaper even when these caps come in place.
£1 of debt is too much for me!
I know from experience that buying a local SIM for mobile internet with my laptop is not just a case of buying a SIM and switching on. Besides, when I have looked at buying local SIMs for my laptop, they have been expensive and I doubt they would be affected by the EU proposals. In any case, for irregular use, it's a non-starter compared with just switching on my computer using my own contract.
I can't wait for the EU proposals to take effect (if they apply to laptop use), except I have to wait until at least 2014, it seems.
But I think that's what the EU wants
No doubt it will make data use cheaper in europe, but something else will go up.
Look at this thread
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=3324318
The termination fee was forced down by the regulators and PAYG cost went up.
The EU acted to regualte call and text costs in Europe last year and suddenly mobile contracts went form "fair use" data to a set amount.
Who do the EU expect to come in? There are a few big operators, Vodafone, Deutche Telecom, French Telecom, Telifonica and KPN, and very few others, as they all own stakes in each other.
*EVERY* time the regulator forces a price down something else goes up, think of it like a squeezed balloon, squize it in one place and another will inflate. Profits need to be made and shareholders kept happy.
This doesn't seem to be true. Virgin mobile already charge me more for texts withn the UK than from the EU and from later in July this will apply to calls as well (up to 40p a minute). I am assuming the EU ruling does not apply to local calls.
Doesn't stop them charging £1.28 per MB in the EU though........
I want to use my smartphone for web browsing and social media when abroad. But it is too costly to do so at the moment, the premium on data roaming overseas is outrageous. So I'm glad to see the EU taking some action on it but why does it have to take so long?