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T-Mobile data roaming cut by 80%

Published by Julia on Monday 23rd June 2008, 03:29 | Filed under: Mobile Data

It looks like the EC’s threats of mandatory cuts to the cost of roaming data and SMS are starting to put the frighteners on some operators. After EC Commissioner Viviane Reding gave the networks two weeks to cut costs before regulation reared its ugly head, T-Mobile looks like it’s already buckled.

It’s announced that from the start of next month, roaming rates within the EU will drop by up to 80 percent for “internet access and mobile broadband”, while the sending a text within Europe will reduce cost up to 38 percent less. Or, to put it another way, the cost per megabyte of mobile data will fall from £7.50 to £1.50 and a roamed SMS will be 25p, down from 40p.

It looks like Reding’s plan is working: operators are doing their very best to dodge the threat of more regulation and if that means 80 percent price cuts, so be it. Hopefully, we’ll now see a rash of ‘me too’ pricing announcements slashing the cost of data use while abroad - and just in time for the summer holidays too.

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This entry was posted on Monday, June 23rd, 2008 at 3:29 am and is filed under Mobile Data. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • planetf1
    The problem is that this is still out of whack with the new UK offerings - ie I pay £5 pcm for up to 1Gb data (3UK). At those prices it would cost £1500 abroad. Of course most of the time I use a fraction of my allowance (some say 2Gb is the "chase you up" point), but the point is it's fair use -- so at no time am I exposed to a massive bill.

    I would hope the mobile operators can introduce at least capped/fair use abroad offerings. Say NN Mb/week for 2 weeks etc.

    Right now I've taken advantage of 3's option to TURN OFF data roaming. Yes, sad.. but I just don't trust myself (or all my data intensive apps!)
  • Networks are already counteracting this in the UK with vodafone minimum call rate now 15p and 02 to go to 20p minimum call charge. So in the end like always the customer lose loses.
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