BELGIUM: EU launches new proposals aimed at opening up mobile telephony market allowing users travelling abroad to opt for a cheaper mobile roaming contract

Record ID: 721317

  • Title: BELGIUM: EU launches new proposals aimed at opening up mobile telephony market allowing users travelling abroad to opt for a cheaper mobile roaming contract
  • Date: 7th July 2011
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (JULY 6, 2011) (REUTERS) MAN ON THE STREET, TALKING ON PHONE WOMAN ON THE STREET, TALKING ON PHONE MAN ON STREET WITH PHONE PERSON SENDING TEXT MESSAGE MAN CROSSING THE STREET WHILE CHECKING PHONE PEOPLE ON STREET USING PHONES WOMAN WITH PHONE WALKING ALONG THE STREET WOMAN TALKING ON PHONE PHONE SHOP SIGNS INSIDE PHONE SHOP PHONE
  • Embargoed: 22nd July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium, Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: Business,Communications,Industry
  • Reuters ID: LVA9WE8RHO61TAMVKLKNSPP2XUZX
  • Story Text: Retailers such as Tesco and Carrefour may soon find it easier to compete with Vodafone and other established telecoms providers under new EU proposals aimed at opening up the mobile telephony market.
    The structural changes proposed by the European Commission will pave the way virtual mobile network operators, which do not have their own infrastructure or spectrum, to piggyback on other providers' networks, a move that could dent the business of companies such as Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom.
    The proposals will also allow users travelling abroad to opt for a cheaper mobile roaming contract from a competing provider while using the same phone number from their domestic operator.
    "I'm confident (...) that structural measures to increase competition on the roaming market will ensure customers get a significantly better deal in terms of prices and choice of services," EU Telecoms Commissioner Neelie Kroes said as she announced the proposed overhaul.
    "So that proposal would provide a sustainable solution which would stop at source fundamental problem of roaming rip-offs for voice, for text, for data. It would stop operators taking advantage of markets disfunction to make a quick profit at the expenses of consumers," she said.
    The proposals will need to be approved by EU lawmakers and EU governments. The Commission has set a July 1, 2012 target for the network measure and July 1, 2014 for the lower roaming deals to come into force.
    Tesco, Britain's largest retailer, which offers mobile phone contracts, has singled out its telecoms business as a key area of growth.
    Carrefour, which also sells mobile phone contracts, welcomed the Commission's proposals on MVNOs
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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