European roaming charges will end in 2014 • Hacker News Board

Re: European roaming charges will end in 2014

#11

Post by mmahemoff » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 1:56 PM UTC

netrus wrote: post #5

marban wrote: post #2

The article misses the fact that telcos are about to raise prices locally in return. Personally, I welcome this step since plans are cheap as hell in most countries anyway compared to, say, the US.

Not sure about that, it has not happened after the last few price-limitations that were issued in recent years. If mobile internet is 50-100x more expensive beyond national borders I will simply not use it, it's a lose-lose deal (that is hard for the market to escape from, due to the large fragmentation).

The telcos make a small fortune every time a business traveller runs up thousands of Euros/Pounds/etc (often at the expense of their employer's shareholders). It's not surprising if the telcos increase everyone's fees a bit if this money is no longer coming in.

And I'm fine with that. Overall, it means previously underutilised capacity will finally be used. 99% of people were unable to use all mobile broadband when abroad, despite it being cheap and abundant. Now they can.

Re: European roaming charges will end in 2014

#12

Post by marcosscriven » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 1:56 PM UTC

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.

Now, as a European citizen based on a little island called Great Britain, I just hope our short sighted little-Englander politicians don't pull us out of the European Union.

Re: European roaming charges will end in 2014

#13

Post by _delirium » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 1:59 PM UTC

skrause wrote: post #10

_delirium wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think I'd go that far! It's an added convenience, but my data already moves with me through the EU, since non-phone internet access (coffee shops, libraries, McDonald's, 7-11, hotels, etc.) is pretty widespread.

It seems that you haven't traveled to Germany yet. Public Wifi is barely available because of legal risks and hotels still try to charge you something like 10 euro for a day of internet access. When I went to Dublin in Ireland the situation was almost as bad.

Interesting; I indeed haven't traveled to Germany. The internet situation has been pretty good in the eight European countries I've been to recently, though: Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Greece, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, France. In a number of them the government even provides easy-to-find free internet (any library in Paris or Copenhagen, the main public spaces of Helsinki or Heraklion, and so on).

Re: European roaming charges will end in 2014

#14

Post by dagw » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 2:02 PM UTC

_delirium wrote: post #9

morganwilde wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As far as I'm concerned, this is bigger than the freedom of physical movement within the EU country borders. Now our data will move with us!

I don't think I'd go that far! It's an added convenience, but my data already moves with me through the EU, since non-phone internet access (coffee shops, libraries, McDonald's, 7-11, hotels, etc.) is pretty widespread.

Widespread in some major cities. Last month I visited some family in a small town in Germany, and the only WiFi available was at the hotel, and it was not free.

Re: European roaming charges will end in 2014

#15

Post by Luc » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 2:02 PM UTC

There's a hundred operators in Europe, whereas there's three or four in the US and China. This fits in Neelie Kroes' plan to drive consolidation among operators.

Re: European roaming charges will end in 2014

#16

Post by _delirium » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 2:04 PM UTC

dagw wrote: post #14

_delirium wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think I'd go that far! It's an added convenience, but my data already moves with me through the EU, since non-phone internet access (coffee shops, libraries, McDonald's, 7-11, hotels, etc.) is pretty widespread.

Widespread in some major cities. Last month I visited some family in a small town in Germany, and the only WiFi available was at the hotel, and it was not free.

Yeah, I'm learning that Germany is an exception. It's not just major cities in the rest of Europe, though. In Sweden you can find free wifi even in small towns, because every 7-11 and every McDonald's in the whole country provides it, not to mention most coffee shops and libraries.

Re: European roaming charges will end in 2014

#17

Post by oleganza » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 2:05 PM UTC

To make it clear: we all were paying roaming charges not because "evil companies" arranged in a cartel, but because some politicians (who control telecom licenses) were deciding prices and rules. Now they decided to drop some requirements and we all fell warm and happy about it. Does anyone wonder, wouldn't it be better if Brussels didn't have such power in the first place?

Re: European roaming charges will end in 2014

#18

Post by morganwilde » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 2:06 PM UTC

_delirium wrote: post #9

morganwilde wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As far as I'm concerned, this is bigger than the freedom of physical movement within the EU country borders. Now our data will move with us!

I don't think I'd go that far! It's an added convenience, but my data already moves with me through the EU, since non-phone internet access (coffee shops, libraries, McDonald's, 7-11, hotels, etc.) is pretty widespread.

Yes, OK, if you travel to a country with Starbucks, you can walk 10 minutes (if you're in central London or other bigger cities) or 30-60 minutes to the nearest one. But we live in the smartphone age, I want to be able to use all my apps everywhere I go, the way I'm used to back home. What's the point of all those hyper local apps if you need an immobile wi-fi connection to access them.

Re: European roaming charges will end in 2014

#19

Post by marcosscriven » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 2:06 PM UTC

quattrofan wrote: post #8

How can this happen? the Daily Mail tells me nothing good comes from membership of the EU!!

No doubt the 'Mail will be able to spin it in some convoluted manner to look like another example of 'immigrants' stealing our jobs/money. No idea how, but they will.

Re: European roaming charges will end in 2014

#20

Post by amirmc » Mon, Jun 17, 2013, 2:09 PM UTC

oleganza wrote: post #17

To make it clear: we all were paying roaming charges not because "evil companies" arranged in a cartel, but because some politicians (who control telecom licenses) were deciding prices and rules. Now they decided to drop some requirements and we all fell warm and happy about it. Does anyone wonder, wouldn't it be better if Brussels didn't have such power in the first place?

Can you expand on this? I don't see how politicians were deciding anything about roaming charges in Europe.