EU Commissioner Reding seeks cuts in data and text messaging roaming charges
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Published:
Week 8
February 2008 -
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News:
EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding has outlined plans to impose caps on roaming charges for data and text messaging if mobile operators do not cut prices before 1st July 2008. At the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Ms Reding outlined three steps to cut data roaming charges.
Firstly, Ms Reding wants added transparency so that consumers are warned of (higher priced) roaming tariffs. Secondly, that mobile network operators should introduce at least one package allowing consumers to download data for the same price they would pay at home, "subject only to a single competitive charge" for access to the service. Finally, Ms Reding wants action on wholesale data tariffs, which vary from €0.20 per megabyte to €7 per megabyte.
On text messaging (SMS) pricing, Ms Reding stated her belief that the retail price for sending a text message whilst abroad should be no more than 2 or 3 Euro cents more expensive than sending a text message domestically.
In her announcement, Ms Reding was also critical of national regulators for failing to support her initiative on voice roaming. She is pushing plans for a permanent European Union wide telecoms regulator, a move opposed by the UK regulator, Ofcom.
