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Roaming fees, capped rates and awkward daily allowances might soon be a thing of the past for European travelers, thanks to plans by four of the biggest EU telecom companies to launch one massive Europe-wide super-network.
According to the FT, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom, Telecom Italia and O2-owner Telefonica have been talking to the EU competition bosses about their plans, asking about the likelihood of being allowed to create an enormous network with the potential to steamroller the rest out of existence.
Sources quoted by the FT claim that the EU itself doesn’t have a problem with the plan to end the massive fragmentation of the mobile market, but there are likely to be big complaints from individual regulators within the EU’s member states, who would quite rightly be terrified by the prospect of this enormous new network and the power it would wield. [FT via TNW]
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Simple solution, The EU lets them create the network (which would bring Europe wide 4G compatibility I assume) on the condition that any smaller carrier can use the network for a reasonable fee.
Sort of like the BT network in the UK?
I thought a lot (most?) of these smaller carriers are running on the back of these big 4 anyway? So surely they would have access from the start?
well think of Vodafone
This looks like an attempt by the telcos to get governments to pay for future investment.
By pooling their existing infrastructure into a newco they’ll be creating a de facto monopoly which will necessitate heavy regulatory involvement. Give it enough time and it’ll end up as the telecoms equivalent of Network Rail or RFF.
More just looks like an attempt to knacker Vodafones excellent international networking, and (almost) monopoly on cheap roaming.
Eh, I just got myself a Vodafone Italy SIM for when I’m in the EU, prepaid, 2 Euro a day for 100MB of data, works in 15 countries in Europe, job done.
That’s not a very good deal compared to Vodafone Eurotraveller. £3 a day gets me my normal price plan, so 2 Gb data and unlimited calls and texts.
Trouble is, when you’re on holiday rather than business, it rather precludes just quickly checking email once a day as you’ve then paid your £3 and feel you have to use it.
Vodafone are bloody good if you travel a lot.
Vodafone Eurotraveller is great…if you have a vodafone UK contract
I average around 3GB a month when I’m in the UK (I don’t know how…) so I kinda have to go with either Three or Giffgaff (current choice) in order to get that cheap.
Three’s £5 a day unlimited isn’t bad as well but Giffgaff have nothing but the standard 69p / MB for EU countries.