Europe

maximum price for the cost of mobile Internet access abroad too high, say MEPs

Internet access from mobile phones will continue to be hundreds of times more abroad than at home in the next 10 years according to the rules of the European Commission, politicians warned.

Parliament is to vote in the summer of new ceilings limit the amount mobile operators can charge passengers. The costs are still astronomical, with some networks in the UK charge "roaming" customers the equivalent of £ 3000 for a gigabyte of data - enough to download 200 songs or watch two hours of video. The proposed price caps, intended to operate until 2022, could be set at ? 500 (£ 420) 1 GB, but members have called for further reductions.

"We need better consumer value," said Irish MEP, Sean Kelly, which means that the cost of 1 GB falling to ? 90 for the year 2014. " The committee's proposals were a bit generous with the industry. Do not think the companies involved will go bankrupt, they can cry wolf, but they will not have the wolf at the door. The single market is free movement of goods, free movement of persons. We should try to charge any roaming around. "

Since the adoption of smart phones have been numerous reports of tourists come home to accounts run into thousands of pounds. Last year, Europe imposes ? 50 cap on expenditure data. Access to the Internet automatically drowned after the limit is reached, except by prior arrangement. However, tourists outside the euro area does not guarantee protection.

The average price of 1 GB in a European country was reduced by ? 7 for those who use their phones at home, according to research firm Berg Insight, despite three counts of £ 1 / GB least in the UK. However, the UK operators O2 and Orange customers a monthly fee £ 3/MB while on the continent, the equivalent of £ 3,000 / GB.

This fee applies even in countries where their own networks, Orange customers in the UK pay £ 3, when in France. Automatically bet Vodafone customers roaming in the discount rate, which cost £ 80/GB in Europe, but £ 200 in the world. These prices mean that customers tend to use the wifi instead of wireless connections to surf the Internet abroad.

"High prices are strangling the use of the Internet for travelers," said the United Kingdom, three of the director of corporate affairs. "European consumers must be able to access the Internet anywhere. It's like sitting with a friend, French or Spanish at your local bar and is paid 100 times higher than for the same drink. "

"We must be very ambitious," said Niebler a debate on the report. "The goal is to ensure that the costs and domestic prices are similar to European rates so as not to have a separate tariff for roaming over -. This is the ultimate goal of consumer organizations will agree vendors have a different opinion. "
The commission first introduced the roaming price cap in 2007 and is preparing a new series of cuts that are due to be voted by Parliament in June The reductions will be spread over a period of three years in July 2012 and ends in July 2014 and will remain in place until 10 years.

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