Fresh from its victory over the issue of voice-roaming costs, the European Commission has again warned mobile operators that they could be forced to cut data-roaming charges.
UK operators have this week been announcing the new rates they will be charging customers for using mobile phones in other European countries, after Viviane Reding, the commissioner for information society and media, won her crusade for lower-cost calling across the continent. However, the new regulations apply only to voice calls, not text messaging or data usage.
Using data on a mobile phone while travelling can be a costly affair, with prices usually reaching many pounds per megabyte. Some operators' data-roaming charges have fallen somewhat recently, but only for business customers travelling in a few selected countries (T-Mobile) or in some kind of bundle (Vodafone). These price drops followed Reding's warning, expressed at the start of this year, that the European Commission would roll data and SMS into its roaming regulation if operators did not cut prices voluntarily.
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On Thursday a spokesperson for Reding's office told ZDNet.co.uk that the commissioner had not forgotten her threat. "In the next few months, the European Commission will be assessing the impact of the roaming regulation and, depending on developments in the market, will decide whether the regulation should be extended in time and scope to cover SMS and MMS messaging and the transfer of data," said the spokesperson, who warned again that "mobile operators are, however, encouraged to reduce tariffs for these services voluntarily as from now".
"It's basically a shot across their bows," Ovum analyst John Delaney told ZDNet.co.uk on Thursday. However, Delaney questioned the Commission's "appetite" for further confrontations with the mobile industry, and added that "it also depends on whether operators start moving on it by themselves, particularly on SMS".
The only operator not to charge any extra for data- or voice-roaming is 3, although it only allows this when its users are on one of its overseas networks — if they roam onto another operator's network, they will be charged accordingly. Observers have also noted that 3 does not have extensive network coverage of its own across Europe.
At the time of writing, one megabyte of data usage in France — assuming the user does not subscribe to a premium bundle — will cost a UK-based subscriber £6 with O2, £7.50 with T-Mobile, £8 with Orange and £10 with Vodafone. Data usage is not available to 3 subscribers in France, according to the operator's website.
Talkback
The solution to low cost roaming is already available, just buy a dual SIP WiFi / GSM Handset. Use WiFi hotspots to make and receive calls and only use GSM when you are out of range of a hotspot. Also you can easily download your emails and Video services to your handset via a hotspot (note: T-mobile have stated they will ban you from using VoIP over their hotspots - so switch to another GSM provider to teach them a lesson).
In addition if you buy an account with an IP PBX Services supplier, you can call all your mates from all over the world for FREE if they are ON-NET.
As to choice of Handset, take a look at the Mazingo Voyager SIP WiFi / GSM Handset at www.mazingophones.com. Mazingo also offer an IP PBX service from €6.95 a month.
Er, thanks for that. However, some would argue that what we really need is an even simpler way for low-cost data roaming to occur, without any extra hotspot expense - i.e. the operators just cutting their prices.
If you get email like I do with serious attachments this is just a stupid price level. £6-10 for a small file attachment is obscene. P*** off. I am not so important I can't wait till I get home, to a WiFi Hot Spot, Internet cafe or even pay the Hotel's expensive but nothing like so bad "all you can eat" WiFi fee.
Whover is pricing this is gouging stupid enterprises whose users don't pay the bill and skimming the rich who pay their own.
It certainly won't get roaming Multimedia started much beyond the first bill anyway.
I can but won't use my GPRS connection at UK rates of £1 per MB - which is still obscene. I have tried my free 1MB allowance and it works fine over a Bluetooth link to the mobile, really wire-less.
But I have 8MB all you can eat real broadband at home for free from TalkTalk Businesss, thanks, its only £10-15 pm from others for 30 day's effectively unlimited data delivered at high bandwidths - well above GPRS rates.
It would appear while Telcos say they want to us to use mobile data services out of one corner of their mouths they are stopping us with extreme tariffs out of the other corner, home and away.
What's that about then?
Brian