backtop

Print 9 comment(s) - last by SandmanWN.. on Mar 5 at 12:19 PM
EU wireless subscribers are now better protected from their carriers

Wireless subscribers in the European Union now have the ability to ask their mobile phone carrier to disconnect their service if they rack up too many data charges -- a 50-euro cap is instituted before a warning and disconnection occurs.

Phone providers also must inform subscribers when their subscription reaches 80% of its maximum capacity. The new cap officially started on March 1.

Phone companies have the choice of altering the cap amount, depending on what consumers want.  The new cap now offers additional transparency and consumer protection, according to the EU, which the Digital Agenda Commissioner has worked for along with the European Parliament and EU Council of Ministers.

Wireless providers in North America and Europe have been criticized for a number of different issues, including unfairly raising costs and adding even more fine print to trap subscribers.  These new rules limit per megabyte download charges to remain 1€ per MB -- with the price mandated to drop in 2011 and 2012 -- as the EU seeks more control of the mobile market.

"Protection against data roaming bill shocks is a useful step towards building customers' confidence to use mobile networks to surf the Internet when traveling around Europe," said Neelie Kroes, European Commissioner for Digital Agenda.  “Such confidence is essential if people and businesses are to use the internet to its full potential." 

If a company violates a pre-arranged agreement with a subscriber, possible sanctions and monetary fines will be handed out by national regulators.

Comments     Threshold


This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
Roaming?
By SandmanWN on 3/3/2010 5:26:35 PM , Rating: 1
They still have roaming charges in the EU? I'm not aware of any major carriers in the US that still do this. Would have to be a pretty lowdown wireless provider with a monopoly in a backwoods area to still have customers paying for that.

So, other than making wireless providers send out a free text message saying you are nearing your data limit and limiting the total fee before your phone is involuntarily cut off, does this do anything else?

Overall, its just government hand holding for people too stupid to account for their own actions at the expense of companies. All I have to do is dial a number and it kicks back a free message with my minutes and data usage, or I can visit my providers website or call a rep all for free or on most smart phones its tracked by an internal app on the phone itself, but apparently that is too much personal responsibility to expect anyone to use?

Governments all over are just getting too big for their own good and the good of the people they supposedly represent.




RE: Roaming?
By NubWobble on 3/3/2010 11:54:42 PM , Rating: 1
Yeah, deregulation is much better. It worked so well in banking, didn't it? Also you're saying that you know every little fineprint in the contracts you sign and have control over your carrier, when it says they can change the TOS as they see fit? Now the EU are going to force carriers to stop leaching off their customers and bleeding them dry. I applaud the EU and your ignorance is why speculaters were allowed to run away with billions of government money, with impunity.


RE: Roaming?
By SandmanWN on 3/4/2010 10:12:40 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
Yeah, deregulation is much better. It worked so well in banking, didn't it?

You'd have to ask those liberal fellas about that one. They artificially lowered the levels and demanded the banks provide variable loan rates to low income people. Hear you got plenty over there as well...
quote:
Now the EU are going to force carriers to stop leaching off their customers and bleeding them dry.

Archaic roaming scheme, this has been done away with for years in the US. If the governments weren't in the way trying to get some tax money out the "deal", then it should have been done long ago. Government, another word for a dirty corporation except they can put a gun to your head or lock you away if you disagree.
quote:
I applaud the EU and your ignorance is why speculaters were allowed to run away with billions of government money, with impunity.

Can't applaud the EU for finally catching up. Unfortunate its the governments that have interfered with the collaboration between wireless providers to keep them from negotiating deals between the individual countries providers to begin with. Im still betting my next bill from my travelling through the EU will be similarly retarded as they were before.

Sounds like you want some more VAT with that whine?


RE: Roaming?
By SiN on 3/4/2010 8:19:39 AM , Rating: 2
There are provisional plans to cut European roaming charges within the EU.

However there is also some stupid reason to have debates as to why it costs more to make or receive a phone across a theoretical line; and allow the carriers enough time to formulate a reason for why it costs more.

Someone should rule with an Iron Fist.


RE: Roaming?
By BZDTemp on 3/4/2010 8:25:37 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
They still have roaming charges in the EU? I'm not aware of any major carriers in the US that still do this. Would have to be a pretty lowdown wireless provider with a monopoly in a backwoods area to still have customers paying for that.


You do realize that the EU is a group of individual countries not states. I would think that if you leave the US you to will have to pay roaming.

As for the bill one example of what it does is protect ignorant parents from kids using their smart phone for hundreds of € worth of data traffic while on vacation. It is easy for one to rack up bills for data worth hundreds if not thousands of € on even a short vacation.

Looking at the US from the outside it seems to me you guys need more government! Just the thought of not everyone getting good health care is shocking and frankly something unworthy for any civilized nation.


RE: Roaming?
By SandmanWN on 3/4/2010 9:52:46 AM , Rating: 2
Wow you Europeans sure get pissy quick, lol.

I've been throughout Europe on my US phone. I get a charge per each provider I have to communicate through. Kinda archaic. Apparently the government needs to step aside and let the companies in the EU negotiate their own terms so you don't have this roaming crap. Works wonders in the US, I'm sure you will enjoy it one day.
quote:
Looking at the US from the outside it seems to me you guys need more government!

Had health insurance my whole life. Don't need the gov to hold my thang while I take a wizz. Got enough forms to fill out and don't need an idiot paid by my tax dollars to do what a corp pays someone properly to do already.


RE: Roaming?
By SiN on 3/4/2010 3:25:13 PM , Rating: 2
The pricing structure in place was implemented by the companies and not the governments. It is in the interest of people in Europe to have the charges abolished. Hence the provisional plans to cut the charges altogether.

Some Countries in the EU have reduced or no roaming charges between them. This is strictly a promotional tactic and varies between carriers offerings.


RE: Roaming?
By NT78stonewobble on 3/5/2010 4:12:17 AM , Rating: 2
Just a little comment.

Companies are not there to do you any good. Theyre there to make money.

I like a few ground rules that keeps eg. pesticides out of my drinking water and like the one discussed here (it's the same for every company and thus doesnt interfere with fair competition companies inbetween).

Personally I'll admit that I'm quite a bit socialist in my thinking.

Now I like a free market and competition but in the right places. Which IMHO is eg. cars, flatscreens and what not of consumer products.

I do not however like the idea of companies earning money on what is basically other peoples "bad luck". Healthcare, medicine and insurance companies. It's more a matter of principle than a question of money when it comes down to it.


RE: Roaming?
By SandmanWN on 3/5/2010 12:19:15 PM , Rating: 2
But you do the same things every time you put money into your retirement plan. You play the company against itself and lead to the very thing you dislike for you own personal gain.
quote:
I like a few ground rules that keeps eg. pesticides out of my drinking water and like the one discussed here (it's the same for every company and thus doesnt interfere with fair competition companies inbetween).

As do I, which is really what the Health Care market needs, not this drastic 2700 page government takeover.
quote:
I do not however like the idea of companies earning money on what is basically other peoples "bad luck". Healthcare, medicine and insurance companies. It's more a matter of principle than a question of money when it comes down to it.

But on the flipside you have the government which will undoubtedly lose billions, hell at the rate healthcare is growing eventually trillions, every year as they do with every program in their growing collection.

I just can't see putting my healthcare in the hands of a couple hundred POLITICIANS in Washington. Thats like living in Florida, you know the hurricane is going to come eventually and destroy everything you have.


"We are going to continue to work with them to make sure they understand the reality of the Internet.  A lot of these people don't have Ph.Ds, and they don't have a degree in computer science." -- RIM co-CEO Michael Lazaridis









botimage
Copyright 2012 DailyTech LLC. - RSS Feed | Advertise | About Us | Ethics | FAQ | Terms, Conditions & Privacy Information | Kristopher Kubicki