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This article is from a year ago, and since then, the implementation of this has been delayed until at least 2018 [1]. The good news is that the latest drop (la

This article is from a year ago, and since then, the implementation of this has been delayed until at least 2018 [1]. The good news is that the latest drop (last year) of statutory roaming rates has made roaming within the EU much cheaper if you shop around a bit, but we're sadly still far from the way it is in the U.S. where you don't have to think about the fact that you're 1000 km away. [1] http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31737635 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31737635

tonfa 12y ago
And I still don't agree with the fact that it opens the market. AFAIK operators can still add conditions like the phone as to be used primarily in country X, which means you can't just get an abo in country X and use it mostly in country Y.
madaxe_again 12y ago
The whole thing is a sham, and unless it's backed up with a big financial stick, nothing will happen. A month or so back while abroad in the EU, my operator sent a message along the lines of 'Great news! Data roaming is free in the EU! We are AWESOME! Please note that this does not include email or internet access, and is restricted to web access. To our site."
- peteretep 12y ago
  > unless it's backed up with a big financial stick If there's something the EU have shown, it's that they're willing to use big financial sticks.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
  - madaxe_again 12y ago
    Willing, but ineffectual. Don't get me wrong, I'm very pro-EU, but they consistently fall flat on their faces when it comes to enforcement.
- Atropos 12y ago
  This is just blind EU hate, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_roaming_regulations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_roaming_regulati... how war the roaming charges have dropped over the years. The costs are much lower than in geographically near but non-EU countries like Switzerland or Norway.
  - madaxe_again 12y ago
    No, this is mobile operator hate, and your reading comprehension sucks - see my comment directly above. That document describes an alternate reality - I sure as hell don't get those tariffs from Telefonica.
    - Atropos 12y ago
      You were complaining about lacking enforcement by the EU in your other comment. Firstly this is misplaced in this case - there is no central EU telecom regulator so it is up to the national member states to enforce it. Secondly the quoted prices accurately describe reality once a cross-border element comes in - the EU cannot regulate your home market; for this reason, SMS are cheaper for me when I'm abroad then when I'm home as well. If it is true that the tariffs do not apply for you, then just write an email to your telecom regulator, for example Spain would be http://www.cnmc.es/ http://www.cnmc.es/
drzaiusapelord 12y ago
>where you don't have to think about the fact that you're 1000 km away. We pay for that through increased rates due to covering such a huge landmass, most of which is sparsely populated. Wyoming alone is larger than England and has only 600,000 people. I wonder if this roaming agreement is being pushed back because of the massive costs it would incur. Your cheap Parisian data plan isn't going to cheap on a Greek island. Its foolish to expect to pay the same rate. I can't see this not raising rates.
- vilmosi 12y ago
  The high rates in the US have nothing to do with area size, it's due to monopolistic services, where you have 1 maybe 2 telcos to choose from in most areas. Free roaming in Europe has many problems to face, but infrastructure isn't one of them.
  - drzaiusapelord 12y ago
    >The high rates in the US have nothing to do with area size, it's due to monopolistic services That's an opinion not a fact. There are four major carriers and several MVNOs in the US. That's competitive with a lot of European markets, where its easier to break into considering the much smaller population/size. Heck, the entirety of Finland's population is about half the Chicagoland metro area. >Free roaming in Europe has many problems to face, but infrastructure isn't one of them. I don't see how someone with a budget plan in a highly dense country is going to be entitled to have the same economics roaming in countries with low desnity where the cost, per sq kilometer, for 3G/4G service is much, much higher. A lot of the cost for US service is making sure people out in the boonies have service as well. That comes at a higher cost than some of the more ultra dense European markets. Its subsidised nation-wide, which makes sense, but if you have a cheap Finnish plan because your tiny country is easy to wire up, well, don't expect those rates in rural Bulgaria or on a Greek island.
    - walterbell 12y ago
      Are there economic benefits to a single addressable market of 300M people, which is made possible by the large geographical area of the US? Another comparison point is Canada, which has a large physical area with about 10% of the US population.
teddyh 12y ago
The banning of roaming charges are repeatedly being proposed in the EU, and later the proposal is canceled once all the good PR has been gained for now. See this two year old op-ed from (then Member of European Parliament) Christian Engström, which explains the procedure (in Swedish): https://www.aftonbladet.se/debatt/article16919673.ab https://www.aftonbladet.se/debatt/article16919673.ab

tonfa 12y ago

And I still don't agree with the fact that it opens the market. AFAIK operators can still add conditions like the phone as to be used primarily in country X, which means you can't just get an abo in country X and use it mostly in country Y.

madaxe_again 12y ago

The whole thing is a sham, and unless it's backed up with a big financial stick, nothing will happen. A month or so back while abroad in the EU, my operator sent a message along the lines of 'Great news! Data roaming is free in the EU! We are AWESOME! Please note that this does not include email or internet access, and is restricted to web access. To our site."

peteretep 12y ago
> unless it's backed up with a big financial stick If there's something the EU have shown, it's that they're willing to use big financial sticks.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- madaxe_again 12y ago
  Willing, but ineffectual. Don't get me wrong, I'm very pro-EU, but they consistently fall flat on their faces when it comes to enforcement.
Atropos 12y ago
This is just blind EU hate, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_roaming_regulations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Union_roaming_regulati... how war the roaming charges have dropped over the years. The costs are much lower than in geographically near but non-EU countries like Switzerland or Norway.
- madaxe_again 12y ago
  No, this is mobile operator hate, and your reading comprehension sucks - see my comment directly above. That document describes an alternate reality - I sure as hell don't get those tariffs from Telefonica.
  - Atropos 12y ago
    You were complaining about lacking enforcement by the EU in your other comment. Firstly this is misplaced in this case - there is no central EU telecom regulator so it is up to the national member states to enforce it. Secondly the quoted prices accurately describe reality once a cross-border element comes in - the EU cannot regulate your home market; for this reason, SMS are cheaper for me when I'm abroad then when I'm home as well. If it is true that the tariffs do not apply for you, then just write an email to your telecom regulator, for example Spain would be http://www.cnmc.es/ http://www.cnmc.es/

drzaiusapelord 12y ago

>where you don't have to think about the fact that you're 1000 km away. We pay for that through increased rates due to covering such a huge landmass, most of which is sparsely populated. Wyoming alone is larger than England and has only 600,000 people. I wonder if this roaming agreement is being pushed back because of the massive costs it would incur. Your cheap Parisian data plan isn't going to cheap on a Greek island. Its foolish to expect to pay the same rate. I can't see this not raising rates.

vilmosi 12y ago
The high rates in the US have nothing to do with area size, it's due to monopolistic services, where you have 1 maybe 2 telcos to choose from in most areas. Free roaming in Europe has many problems to face, but infrastructure isn't one of them.
- drzaiusapelord 12y ago
  >The high rates in the US have nothing to do with area size, it's due to monopolistic services That's an opinion not a fact. There are four major carriers and several MVNOs in the US. That's competitive with a lot of European markets, where its easier to break into considering the much smaller population/size. Heck, the entirety of Finland's population is about half the Chicagoland metro area. >Free roaming in Europe has many problems to face, but infrastructure isn't one of them. I don't see how someone with a budget plan in a highly dense country is going to be entitled to have the same economics roaming in countries with low desnity where the cost, per sq kilometer, for 3G/4G service is much, much higher. A lot of the cost for US service is making sure people out in the boonies have service as well. That comes at a higher cost than some of the more ultra dense European markets. Its subsidised nation-wide, which makes sense, but if you have a cheap Finnish plan because your tiny country is easy to wire up, well, don't expect those rates in rural Bulgaria or on a Greek island.
  - walterbell 12y ago
    Are there economic benefits to a single addressable market of 300M people, which is made possible by the large geographical area of the US? Another comparison point is Canada, which has a large physical area with about 10% of the US population.

teddyh 12y ago

The banning of roaming charges are repeatedly being proposed in the EU, and later the proposal is canceled once all the good PR has been gained for now. See this two year old op-ed from (then Member of European Parliament) Christian Engström, which explains the procedure (in Swedish): https://www.aftonbladet.se/debatt/article16919673.ab https://www.aftonbladet.se/debatt/article16919673.ab