Comments on: Vodafone: ‘We know our roaming data rates stink’ http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2008/02/vodafone_we_know_our_roaming_data_rates_stink.html Daily news and opinion for 250,000 industry executives and mobile fanatics Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:43:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Rune http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2008/02/vodafone_we_know_our_roaming_data_rates_stink.html/comment-page-1#comment-221874 Rune Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:30:44 +0000 http://www.smstextnews.com/2008/02/vodafone_we_know_our_roaming_data_rates_stink.html#comment-221874 We are launching a data roaming data with We are launching a data roaming data with

]]> By: Ricky C http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2008/02/vodafone_we_know_our_roaming_data_rates_stink.html/comment-page-1#comment-216897 Ricky C Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:35:21 +0000 http://www.smstextnews.com/2008/02/vodafone_we_know_our_roaming_data_rates_stink.html#comment-216897 10p a pop for a SMS abroad. Its 50p for tmobile customers on contract. The only work around is 20p MMS message. 10p a pop for a SMS abroad. Its 50p for tmobile customers on contract. The only work around is 20p MMS message.

]]> By: Hands0n http://www.mobileindustryreview.com/2008/02/vodafone_we_know_our_roaming_data_rates_stink.html/comment-page-1#comment-216891 Hands0n Wed, 13 Feb 2008 22:24:00 +0000 http://www.smstextnews.com/2008/02/vodafone_we_know_our_roaming_data_rates_stink.html#comment-216891 "..... raise the inclusive amount of roaming data a little to placate the heavy users and do my best to avoid lowering the prices until market pressure absolutely positively requires price adjustment" That is the traditional model, for sure. And that is also why mobile data is still in the land of Premium and so-called Business user. Only the likes of T-Mobile and 3 have broken the mould followed by all of the UK incumbents. Even now Orange insist on charging punitive rates for mobile data, and you would have to be utterly stupid to even consider data roaming with them. What all the mobile operators have missed with International roaming [period] is that by keeping the prices high they have artificially dampened the market. Ordinary people are too scared to use their mobiles when abroad in all but extraordinary circumstances. However, imagine if you will a day when mobile roaming [of voice, text and data] are at ordinary rates, or even out of contract bundles. The market for use will explode beyond the operators wildest dreams. They saw it happen with SMS (anyone remember when it was £0.60p a pop?). As soon as the price was brought down to £0.10p the use of it took off - the rest is history. The trouble is, the mobile operators keep looking for killer apps while not realising that it is right under their own feet. The network is their killer app, and it will make money for them if only they would let it happen. Hope is in the wind. Now that £15/3GB mobile data contracts are becoming de facto there will be some takeup in the UK. I expect Europe to drag along behind as they are still in PTT land monopolistic mentality. Now let Ms Reding give the mobile operators a very hard time indeed and get them to trash their roaming rates all round, voice, text and data. They won't do it by themselves - they've proven that. Right now they're drip-feeding us lower rates just to see how Ms Reding responds. I hope that she is not bamboozled by this show of crocodile tears. Rather that she says "Nice try boys ... now lets go for gold" and forces them all to reduce the tariffs to levels that the man in the street can readily afford. Then, and only then, will the mobile operators actually make any real money out of people roaming around Europe [the World even] without fear of having to sell their first born upon arrival back home! “….. raise the inclusive amount of roaming data a little to placate the heavy users and do my best to avoid lowering the prices until market pressure absolutely positively requires price adjustment”

That is the traditional model, for sure. And that is also why mobile data is still in the land of Premium and so-called Business user. Only the likes of T-Mobile and 3 have broken the mould followed by all of the UK incumbents. Even now Orange insist on charging punitive rates for mobile data, and you would have to be utterly stupid to even consider data roaming with them.

What all the mobile operators have missed with International roaming [period] is that by keeping the prices high they have artificially dampened the market. Ordinary people are too scared to use their mobiles when abroad in all but extraordinary circumstances. However, imagine if you will a day when mobile roaming [of voice, text and data] are at ordinary rates, or even out of contract bundles. The market for use will explode beyond the operators wildest dreams. They saw it happen with SMS (anyone remember when it was £0.60p a pop?). As soon as the price was brought down to £0.10p the use of it took off – the rest is history.

The trouble is, the mobile operators keep looking for killer apps while not realising that it is right under their own feet. The network is their killer app, and it will make money for them if only they would let it happen.

Hope is in the wind. Now that £15/3GB mobile data contracts are becoming de facto there will be some takeup in the UK. I expect Europe to drag along behind as they are still in PTT land monopolistic mentality. Now let Ms Reding give the mobile operators a very hard time indeed and get them to trash their roaming rates all round, voice, text and data. They won’t do it by themselves – they’ve proven that. Right now they’re drip-feeding us lower rates just to see how Ms Reding responds. I hope that she is not bamboozled by this show of crocodile tears. Rather that she says “Nice try boys … now lets go for gold” and forces them all to reduce the tariffs to levels that the man in the street can readily afford.

Then, and only then, will the mobile operators actually make any real money out of people roaming around Europe [the World even] without fear of having to sell their first born upon arrival back home!

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