Guest tsutton Posted September 26, 2008 Report Share Posted September 26, 2008 EU to slash more mobile charges More good news for us... EU is pushing to make this a law to slash the cost of using mobile phones abroad, for text, data and voice calls.The European Parliament is to vote next spring on whether roaming costs for text messages should be capped. The cost of sending a message is expected to eventually fall by 60% from an average of 23 pence to 9p. Voice calls would fall from 36p to 27p a minute and customers would be able to set limits on data downloads. A reluctant mobile phone industry first had limits on its roaming charges imposed by the EU in September 2007. However, those applied only to voice calls, not those for texting or browsing the internet while users were abroad. What a GREAT news for travellers who travels to Europe oftens if this was made into law. Lets hope this will happen! What are your thoughts of this? [Via: BBC News] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Confucious Posted September 27, 2008 Report Share Posted September 27, 2008 It is very good news - it would be better still if they were included in your allowance but still... It does mean I might not switch my phone off so much when I'm abroad and might not have missed my mate asking where I was when he came to pick us up from the airport 12 hours before we were due in. Maybe next time I'll just give him the right flight details. D'Oh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest shadamehr Posted September 29, 2008 Report Share Posted September 29, 2008 It is very good news - it would be better still if they were included in your allowance but still... It does mean I might not switch my phone off so much when I'm abroad and might not have missed my mate asking where I was when he came to pick us up from the airport 12 hours before we were due in. Maybe next time I'll just give him the right flight details. D'Oh! My one sided, greedy consumer thoughts on this (well the OP did ask):As they will be debating this in EU Parliament in Spring NEXT year, it is highly unlikely therefore that any result will actually appear in time for next Summer's holiday period abroad. So by the poor timing of the debate, don't expect this to appear until your Summer 2010 holiday (it might come in a bit before this, but this will be the first SUMMER it will show any benefit).I too believe that the way forward is a PARTNERSHIP arrangement between networks, not a price cap one. That is to say, texts and minutes that can come out of your allowance bundle, and in return, foreign visitors to the UK, can benefit from the same in return. So instead of capping, Network Operators offer an agreement to allow each other to roam free - the problem here of course is that this becomes one sided. Lots more UK visitors will go to Spain in Summer, than Spanish tourists visiting over here etc.I certainly won't be using Data Roaming abroad, no matter how 'low' the cost becomes, unless and until, it actually becomes on a par with the UK, and is part of our inclusive bundle, such as web 'n' walk. No justification in me paying anything at all, no matter how 'low' if I can just sit in a beach side bar terrace, once a day on my holiday, like I did in Magalluf all last week and the week before with my wide screen E90 (sob sob, back home), and sip a cool drink, while making use of their free wi-fi service. This lets me do all my 'work' daily for the cost of a drink, while admiring the view, scenery, and sexy babes in bikinis. *lol*My final aside thought on this too...? I WISH that those that are still in the dark dark ages, and can't receive MMS messages, as they believe they have no need, desire, or want for this, and thus won't set it up, would change their ways. WRONG. It's not true you have no need of this. Because as it stands, while abroad, you can actually send an MMS with T-Mobile in Europe, and this DOES come out of your bundle allowance, so is free. And as you can use MMS to send long textual, worded messages with no picture at all, if you wish, this becomes an EXCELLENT free way, to keep in touch with people back home. BUT, only if they are not still living in the dark ages, kidding themselves they have no need of MMS and can therefore actually even RECEIVE them. If they have absolutely no desire to ever SEND one, fair enough. But it would be nice if they actually allowed you to send THEM one. And that's the bit too many people miss. *lol*Oh er - well there you go... my one sided two pennorth's worth of thoughts *lol* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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