The document summarizes regulations and initiatives related to mobile roaming charges in Europe and globally. Key points include:
- Regulation 531/2012 reduced wholesale and retail roaming charges in the EU and will be reviewed every two years until it expires in 2022.
- Bilateral agreements and domestic regulations have aimed to reduce roaming charges outside of Europe.
- Industry initiatives promote price transparency but advocates call for stronger consumer protections like price caps.
- International standards bodies discuss policies around ensuring reasonable roaming rates and protecting consumers from unexpected bills.
2. Roaming Regulation III (531/2012)
Previous Reg. was to expire in June 2012
EC legislative proposal in July 2011
Adopted by Parliament and Council
◦ Toughened in several respects
European Commission to review its
functioning of Roaming III and, after a public
consultation, to report:
◦ by 30th June 2016 and
◦ every two years thereafter
Regulation expires in 2022
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http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32012R0531:EN:NOT
3. Per 1 July 2012 1 July 2013 1 July 2014
Wholesale voice call
made
Minute
0.14 0.10 0.05
Retail call made Minute
0.29 0.24 0.19
Retail call received Minute
0.08 0.07 0.05
Wholesale SMS Message
0.03 0.02 -
Retail SMS Message
0.09 0.08 0.06
Wholesale data Megabyte
0.25 0.15 0.05
Retail data Megabyte
0.70 0.45 0.20
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4. Longstanding hope of finding a structural
remedy
From 1 January 2013 mobile operators
required to provide wholesale roaming:
◦ Must meet all reasonable requests
◦ “may refuse requests … only on the basis of
objective criteria”
◦ Regulators to provide dispute resolution
◦ Must publish a reference offer
From 1 July 2013 customers can buy roaming
separately from domestic services
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5. Rwanda – regulator imposed USD
0.22/minute tax on roaming
Zain “One Network” deal slipping away under
Airtel but still free incoming calls
GCC countries implementing regional deal
Bilateral intergovernmental agreement to
reduce rates
◦ Singapore and Brunei
◦ Russia and Poland and Lithuania
NTT DoCoMo and KT have roaming for NFC
e-money
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6. Symposium in March 2012 to inform Council
for Trade in Services
Considered experiences:
◦ European Union
◦ GCC
◦ Southern African Development Community
◦ Australia-New Zealand initiative
◦ Latin America
May yet come to the Council for action
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http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/serv_e/sym_march12_e/sym_march12_e.htm
7. Joint initiative of the two governments
◦ Trans-Tasman roaming
Published a draft report in August for comments
(now closed)
ACCAN (consumers) called for:
◦ Bilateral price caps with mandatory pass through of
savings
◦ Price transparency
◦ Increased powers for regulators
◦ Removal of fees to unlock handsets
Operators argued that:
◦ market failure was not lack of competition, but due to
poor levels of consumer information
◦ Price regulation only as a last resort
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http://www.dbcde.gov.au/mobile_services/mobile_roaming/trans-tasman_mobile_roaming
8. Member states
Should promote awareness of:
◦ the cost of roaming services and
◦ the availability of substitutes
Should work with domestic operators to make
information easily available
◦ SMS, etc.
Should promote transparency of information
provided to customers
◦ Anti-bill shock measure
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http://webnet.oecd.org/OECDACTS/Instruments/ShowInstrumentView.aspx?InstrumentID=271&Lang=en&Book=False
9. In assessing mergers should examine the
potential effects on
◦ Beneficial roaming offers for consumers
◦ Negotiating powers of third party operators
Collect data on headline and discounted
wholesale rates
Facilitate access for MVNOs
Regulate prices where “market dynamics are
insufficient to produce reasonably competitive
wholesale prices”
Last resort is retail price regulation
Assess costs and benefits of all measures
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10. Price transparency initiatives:
◦ Europe in 2000
◦ Arab states in 2008
2012 Data Roaming Transparency Initiative:
◦ Twenty operators/groups signed up
◦ Send SMS on arrival in foreign country
◦ Allow a monthly spending limit
◦ Shut down service after that is used up
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http://www.gsmaw.org/
http://www.gsma.com/newsroom/gsma-launches-data-roaming-transparency-initiative/
11. Roaming first raised in ITU-T in June 2012
Just adopted Recommendation D.98
◦ Charging in international mobile roaming service
Member States:
◦ Should take an active role in consumer education
and protection, also explore ways to protect and
empower consumers
◦ Should encourage the development of effectively
competitive markets for roaming
◦ May introduce regulatory measures
(e.g., alerts, bill caps, tariff caps and
pre-selection)
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http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/recommendations/rec.aspx?rec=11556
12. World Conference on International Telecommunications
◦ 2-12 December 2012, Dubai
Adoption of new International Telecommunications
Regulations (ITRs)
◦ Replacing those adopted in 1988 at Melbourne
Many, many preparatory meetings
Wide range of issues, including roaming:
◦ To ensure transparency of end-user prices
◦ To ensure users receive full price information promptly when they
cross a border
◦ To base prices are based on
Actual costs for the service provider, or
Prices charged
in the user’s home country, or
in the visited country.
◦ To prevent bill shock
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http://www.itu.int/en/wcit-12/
13. Despite long years of complaint the causes
remain unknown
Legislation and regulation will continue for
many years
Outside EU/EEA countries are still struggling
to find ways to reduce roaming charges
◦ Often of interest only to the very wealthy
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