EU telecom ministers Thurs. approved slashing international mobil...
EU telecom ministers Thurs. approved slashing international mobile roaming rates. The regulation is to take effect on publication in the EU Official Journal -- expected July 29 -- after a long, fractious debate among the EC, European Parliament and Council. Mobile operators then will have a month to alert customers to the new retail “Eurotariff” or offer better packages and switch them to their choice within a month. Consumers who respond will get the Eurotariff after 3 months. The rule sets a maximum price of 0.49 for placing and 0.24 for receiving calls the first year. In year 2, the rates drop to 0.46/0.22; year 3, to
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0.43/0.19. Wholesale tariffs operators charge each other are capped for 3 years. Information Society & Media Comr. Viviane Reding want the rule in effect for the summer holidays. Asked at a briefing whether the German Presidency was disappointed that consumers won’t benefit immediately, Economics & Technology Minister Michael Glos said he felt the same as Reding. He, Reding and MEPs also wanted lower rates than the compromise package the govts. endorsed, he said, but member countries felt otherwise. Glos said he regretted that legislation was needed to give consumers telecom services at reasonable prices: “We hope that operators have finally got the message.”