5 ms·

I've been recently moving back and forth between Italy and France and there is one thing that bothers me with eurotariff: if I'm in Italy, a French friend is vi

by carlob 12y ago

I've been recently moving back and forth between Italy and France and there is one thing that bothers me with eurotariff: if I'm in Italy, a French friend is visiting me, and I send them a text with my non-roaming Italian phone I pay about 30 cents and this sum is not regulated anywhere. If I fish out my French SIM card then that amount is capped to 7 cents. Funnily enough once I finish my monthly allotment of SMS's, I can still message my Italian friends, from my Italian phone at 10 cents per message, which is more expensive than what I'd pay roaming and is not regulated. So what I'm saying is that already today, without roaming charges being abolished, using a foreign phone is generally cheaper than anything without a plan in Italy, and I know that Italy is one of the cheapest countries in Europe for non-monthly deals.

riffraff 12y ago
EU passed some legislation some time ago where "international" SMS should be capped at 0.11€, so maybe you should try to get a more recent contract or complain through your local consumer support org.
- carlob 12y ago
  They are now capped at 0.07 actually. National ones are not capped, and that's exactly my point.
  - riffraff 12y ago
    but if you send a message from your italian phone to a french friend in italy (which I think has a french SIM) that would be still international, wouldn't it? My understanding of the SMS thing is "nation of receiving phone operator" not "nation where the receiver is".
    - carlob 12y ago
      Italian SIM in Italy -> Italian SIM wherever = 10 Italian SIM in Italy -> French SIM wherever = 30 Italian SIM in France -> any European SIM wherever = 7
lmm 12y ago
> I know that Italy is one of the cheapest countries in Europe for non-monthly deals. Are you sure? How come your French phone is cheaper then? It wouldn't surprise me at all if Italian phones were overpriced. A lot of things are there, IME.
- gutnor 12y ago
  Same thing in the UK - using my O2 pay as you go in Spain is cheaper than a pay as you go in Spain for voice/sms, also using my UK phone in Spain for voice/sms is cheaper than using it in the UK. Mobile pricing is mental - completely detached from technological restriction or infrastructure cost. Also, some provider in EU ( as in France ) are making roaming free in most Europe already. However, unlike what the article suggested, you need to live in France to get them ( and remember the terrorists - you don't want to add yourself to some government shit-list just to save a few euro on holidays )
- carlob 12y ago
  I was referring to top-ups. Top-ups in France are crazy expensive, most major carriers charge over 30 cents per minute without a monthly plan and that's well over the current max for roaming.

by carlob 12y ago

riffraff 12y ago

EU passed some legislation some time ago where "international" SMS should be capped at 0.11€, so maybe you should try to get a more recent contract or complain through your local consumer support org.

carlob 12y ago
They are now capped at 0.07 actually. National ones are not capped, and that's exactly my point.
- riffraff 12y ago
  but if you send a message from your italian phone to a french friend in italy (which I think has a french SIM) that would be still international, wouldn't it? My understanding of the SMS thing is "nation of receiving phone operator" not "nation where the receiver is".
  - carlob 12y ago
    Italian SIM in Italy -> Italian SIM wherever = 10 Italian SIM in Italy -> French SIM wherever = 30 Italian SIM in France -> any European SIM wherever = 7

lmm 12y ago

> I know that Italy is one of the cheapest countries in Europe for non-monthly deals. Are you sure? How come your French phone is cheaper then? It wouldn't surprise me at all if Italian phones were overpriced. A lot of things are there, IME.

gutnor 12y ago
Same thing in the UK - using my O2 pay as you go in Spain is cheaper than a pay as you go in Spain for voice/sms, also using my UK phone in Spain for voice/sms is cheaper than using it in the UK. Mobile pricing is mental - completely detached from technological restriction or infrastructure cost. Also, some provider in EU ( as in France ) are making roaming free in most Europe already. However, unlike what the article suggested, you need to live in France to get them ( and remember the terrorists - you don't want to add yourself to some government shit-list just to save a few euro on holidays )
carlob 12y ago
I was referring to top-ups. Top-ups in France are crazy expensive, most major carriers charge over 30 cents per minute without a monthly plan and that's well over the current max for roaming.