The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications has released the 5th report on international roaming on Europe’s public mobile telephone networks. This study, which covers the period between 1 April and 31 December, reveals a high level of compliance with the Regulation of roaming services (Regulation EC No. 717/2007 of 27 June, subsequently amended by Regulation 544/2009 of 18 June) in all the Member States of the European Union.
The information compiled by BEREC indicates that all EU consumers have access to the new Eurotariff. Under the Eurotariff, the maximum price of intra-EU roaming voice communications is capped, in terms of communications received and communications made, by the regulation published on 27 June 2009. Since 1 July 2009, consumer have also had access to the Euro-SMS tariff, under which the price of an SMS sent using intra-EU roaming has also been capped, pursuant to the regulation.
In terms of calls made, the European average of the Eurotariff (calculated using the data of all the EU countries which responded to BEREC’s questionnaire) fell from 0.425 euros/minute in the 2nd quarter of 2009 (compared to a cap of 0.46 euros per minute then in force under the Eurotariff) to €0.381 in the 4th quarter of 2009 (compared to a cap of 0.43 euros per minute currently in force under the Eurotariff). In terms of calls received, the European average of the Eurotariff fell from 0.201 euros/minute in the 2nd quarter of 2009 (compared to a cap of 0.22 euros per minute then in force under the Eurotariff) to €0.165 in the 4th quarter of 2009 (compared to a cap of 0.19 euros per minute currently in force under the Eurotariff).
According to the BEREC study, the average price of the Euro-SMS tariff was approximately 0.10 euros/SMS in the last two quarters of 2009, below the cap of 0.11 euros/SMS established in the regulation to apply with respect to the Euro-SMS tariff. Regarding roaming data services, it is noted that average off-net retail prices (prices charged where the home network and foreign host network are not owned by companies within the same group) continued to fall to €3. 165 in the 2nd quarter of 2009 and to €2.668 in the 4th quarter of 2009.
At the wholesale level, the tariffs defined between operators for roaming voice communications are in line with the caps established in the regulation, as is the case of wholesale tariffs applicable to the transfer of SMS and other data communication services. In terms of voice communications, in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2009, following publication of the new regulation, the average wholesale tariff was 0.223 euros/minute and 0.224 euros/minute respectively, compared to the new cap established at 0.26 euros/minute. In terms of SMS, it is noted that in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2009, the average wholesale tariffs in the EU were 0.042 euros/SMS and 0.039 euros/SMS, compared to the cap of 0.04 euros SMS. The average wholesale tariff applicable to data communications was 0.554 euros /Mb in the 4th quarter of 2009, compared to the cap of 1.00€/Mb.
Further information:
- BEREC International Roaming Benchmark Data Report for April 2009 - December 2009 http://berec.europa.eu/doc/berec/bor_10_20_international_roam_report.pdf
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- International roaming - 4th ERG report https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=971623
