There is no European mobile market yet
Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2024 10:56 am
The European Commission has adopted a proposal to review the current roaming rules. The proposal is quite conservative, as it extends the current roam like at home (the so-called “RLAH”) regime for another 10 years: this means that, except in certain situations, travellers within the EU continue to have the right to rely on their domestic tariffs without the risk of incurring additional roaming costs. This initiative is politically welcome, as the abolition of additional roaming charges has always been considered one of the most notable achievements of the European Union towards ordinary people.
The new rules also aim to make it clear that travellers must also:
• enjoy the same quality and speed oman telegram data of mobile communications abroad as you do at home;
• have better information about possible additional costs when calling service numbers, such as customer service, while roaming;
• be aware of alternative ways to access emergency services that are available in the country you are visiting.
These were the positive moments, now let's look at the dark side.
The Commission is extending the RLAH regime by making it mandatory for another 10 years because there is a risk that, without specific regulation, roaming prices are likely to rise again and European citizens will end up with additional charges when they travel. The Commission considered, among other options, abolishing the RLAH obligation, but ultimately did not do so. Instead, it concluded that mobile market forces would recreate roaming surcharges. This is unfortunate, but this is the reality.
In other words, after 25 years of liberalisation and 10 years of special roaming regulation, the European mobile industry is still unable to offer an ecosystem in which mobile operators play at a European level and are incentivised to offer European tariffs without roaming surcharges. Instead, they continue to compete at a domestic level and therefore only offer domestic tariffs, which, unless the RLAH obligation applies, are usually increased by roaming surcharges for travelling users. Why is this? The problem arises, among other things, from the contradictory European telecoms policy, which, on the one hand, advocates a single market and the end of roaming surcharges, but on the other, deprives mobile operators of incentives to play at an international level. It is not easy to explain, but we will try.
The new rules also aim to make it clear that travellers must also:
• enjoy the same quality and speed oman telegram data of mobile communications abroad as you do at home;
• have better information about possible additional costs when calling service numbers, such as customer service, while roaming;
• be aware of alternative ways to access emergency services that are available in the country you are visiting.
These were the positive moments, now let's look at the dark side.
The Commission is extending the RLAH regime by making it mandatory for another 10 years because there is a risk that, without specific regulation, roaming prices are likely to rise again and European citizens will end up with additional charges when they travel. The Commission considered, among other options, abolishing the RLAH obligation, but ultimately did not do so. Instead, it concluded that mobile market forces would recreate roaming surcharges. This is unfortunate, but this is the reality.
In other words, after 25 years of liberalisation and 10 years of special roaming regulation, the European mobile industry is still unable to offer an ecosystem in which mobile operators play at a European level and are incentivised to offer European tariffs without roaming surcharges. Instead, they continue to compete at a domestic level and therefore only offer domestic tariffs, which, unless the RLAH obligation applies, are usually increased by roaming surcharges for travelling users. Why is this? The problem arises, among other things, from the contradictory European telecoms policy, which, on the one hand, advocates a single market and the end of roaming surcharges, but on the other, deprives mobile operators of incentives to play at an international level. It is not easy to explain, but we will try.