MSE News: Cost of roaming in Europe to be slashed for millions of mobile customers

MSE_Luke

Millions of mobile phone customers with an allowance package will benefit from reduced roaming charges in most of Europe...

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'Cost of roaming in Europe to be slashed for millions of mobile phone customers'

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grumbler

MSE wrote:

Incoming calls
Cost of service(per min) - Domestic price + €0.01
Total maximum cost of service - €0.05

Does this mean that 'domestic' incoming calls are not free in some places in EU?

wacko911

Will this mean when the roaming charges are ditched we might be better getting a sim deal from another EU country as the charges are lower and we could any cell tower in the UK not just your network one?

chattychappy

wacko911 wrote: »

Will this mean when the roaming charges are ditched we might be better getting a sim deal from another EU country as the charges are lower and we could any cell tower in the UK not just your network one?

Indeed. I once dug myself out of a situation when stuck on a broken underground train. My foreign SIM found the only UK network that had a signal. I always thought there scope for a UK premium "super SIM", ie a virtual network that does allow you to "roam" on all networks. I remember some years ago when I lived in Vietnam there was a similar arrangement in rural areas between the two GSM operators (Mobifone and Vinaphone).

As I recall, one of the objections to the EU regulation was that people could do exactly what you suggest and that this would be "unfair" on the networks as there is still a greater cost in connecting a foreign call. One of the proposals was that networks could adopt a fair usage approach - ie your SIM must spend the bulk of its time on the home network. Perhaps we'll see this written into T+Cs shortly.

chattychappy

OK found it. Basically there is protection for networks from consumers who wish to "shop around", obtaining SIMs in one EU country with the intention of using them mainly in another.

It's in the regulation: (2015/2120):

Article 6b
Fair use
1. Roaming providers may apply in accordance with this Article and the implementing acts referred to in Article 6d a ‘fair use policy’ to the consumption of regulated retail roaming services provided at the applicable domestic retail price level, in order to prevent abusive or anomalous usage of regulated retail roaming services by roaming customers, such as the use of such services by roaming customers in a Member State other than that of their domestic provider for purposes other than periodic travel.
Any fair use policy shall enable the roaming provider’s customers to consume volumes of regulated retail roaming services at the applicable domestic retail price that are consistent with their respective tariff plans.

chattychappy

grumbler wrote: »

Does this mean that 'domestic' incoming calls are not free in some places in some places in EU?

No, it means what you already pay in the UK. So if you are on PAYG and paying 3p a minute already in the UK (ie domestically) then the regs provide for £0.03+€0.01/min when roaming.

MoneyMate

Wow what is this in English eg/ £ and Pence.
Article 6b
Fair use
1. Roaming providers may apply in accordance with this Article and the implementing acts referred to in Article 6d a ‘fair use policy’ to the consumption of regulated retail roaming services provided at the applicable domestic retail price level, in order to prevent abusive or anomalous usage of regulated retail roaming services by roaming customers, such as the use of such services by roaming customers in a Member State other than that of their domestic provider for purposes other than periodic travel.
Any fair use policy shall enable the roaming provider’s customers to consume volumes of regulated retail roaming services at the applicable domestic retail price that are consistent with their respective tariff plans.

chattychappy

MoneyMate wrote: »

Wow what is this in English eg/ £ and Pence.

I resisted copying 6d which is even more exciting!

Essentially phone companies can impose "fair use" type restrictions to prevent people using free roaming except for travel purposes. The regulations are not designed to let you use a foreign SIM for free roaming in your own country.

MoneyMate

More £ and pence info here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36171266 :beer:

thetriggerhappypwner

I wonder if they will slash the cost for Roaming in America too...

grumbler

chattychappy wrote: »

No, it means what you already pay in the UK. So if you are on PAYG and paying 3p a minute already in the UK (ie domestically) then the regs provide for £0.03+€0.01/min when roaming.

I don't pay anything for incoming calls in UK. Do you?