EC warns mobile ops on pricing
p2p news / p2pnet: European Union telecommunications commissioner Viviane Reding says mobile phone operators are ignoring her message that roaming charges are too high.
She says they’ve been, "repeatedly warned" to cut the charges, according to MarketWatch. "Mobile operators seem to have some difficulty in understanding my message," she said.
The initiative, "represents one of the more aggressive pieces of legislation proposed by the Commission and comes as wireless operators battle slowing sales growth and intensifying competition in mature European markets," says the story.
"Under the proposal, companies must eliminate all roaming charges for receiving a call when traveling abroad. If the idea becomes regulation."
But Deutsche Telekom AG’s wireless unit T-Mobile believes plans by the EU to slash international roaming charges are unnecessary, says AFX News.
Answering Reding’s "repeatedly" message with one of his own, a T-Mobile spokesman said his company had, "repeatedly cut roaming charges – which are incurred when mobile phones are used abroad – in the past two years, pointing out that uniform and transparent prices are in the interest of customers."
The Commission is conducting separate investigations into Deutsche Telekom (DT) and Vodafone PLC (VOD), among others, for breaking antitrust rules in their roaming charges, says MarketWatch, adding:
"At her press conference, Reding said she was working closely with EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes. "We have ongoing roaming investigations," she said.
Also See:
MarketWatch – EU says mobile operators not getting message over roaming, March 28, 2006
AFX News – Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile reiterates EU’s roaming plans unnecessary , March 28, 2006
