October 2, 2014
EU ROAMING CHARGES - GLIDING TOWARD A CHANGE In April this year, consumers in the European Union received some welcome news – lawmakers announced that they would abolish roaming fees in all 28 states of the EU by December 2015. This would mean that a traveler from France going to Spain, for example, would pay the same for making calls in either country, an initiative known as RLAH (roam like you’re at home). However, a new proposal revealed in Italy last week makes things a little less clear. For one, there’s no longer any mention of a fixed date for the removal of these charges, and instead, a desire to create what they’re calling a ‘glidepath’. While we’re not entirely sure what a ‘glidepath’ is, it brings to mind network operators as a flock of majestic swans, drifting downstream toward the sea in their own sweet time. Ironically, the reasons behind the push to scrap these charges and operating networks’ reluctance to do so are exactly the same. Former EU telecoms commissioner Neelie Kroes wanted to use the change to encourage operators to invest in faster networks – but the operators are now saying that this expected loss of income would mean that they’re not able to make such investments. So what does this mean for consumers? It’s too early to tell, as nothing has yet been agreed. It does seem that there may be a move to a gradual phasing out of roaming costs rather than abolishment as initially proposed. There may also be a ‘fair use’ calculation, based upon average annual domestic consumption. Under these proposals, an amount of roaming would be permissible under this ‘fair use’ tariff, but once that is used up, higher charges will apply. Discussions are ongoing, but we will be keeping a close eye on them. Don’t forget to check back here for all the latest news.
