The news
Mobile phone operator 3 is scrapping roaming fees for UK customers when they travel to the seven other countries in which it operates - Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy and Sweden.
This move follows the company's introduction late last year of a flat-rate (£5 or £10 per month) mobile-internet service - X-Series - with an option to watch TV being streamed over the net by a Slingbox to your phone from a satellite or terrestrial set-top box or a personal video recorder.
As a result of 3's latest cat-among-the-pigeons initiative, customers visiting these seven countries will, the company says, be able to use other 3 Group networks, "for a price similar to that on their home 3 network".
The overseas network becomes, in effect, an extension of the home network and this applies not just for phone calls but also SMS, MMS, video calling and data services.
This new pricing policy - 3 Like Home - is also going to be offered to customers in 3's seven overseas networks.
The company says that the policy is consistent with the European Commission's campaign to reduce the cost of mobile calls when roaming in Europe and also underlines its commitment to fair treatment and reasonable pricing for all its customers.
According to 3's MD of European telecoms, Christian Salbaing,
While 3 customers will
continue to face higher
charges if they roam onto a non-3 network, this is because of the high
wholesale charges required by many of 3's roaming partners.
We hope the European Commission will be successful in significantly reducing these wholesale charges, which will allow price reductions for customers roaming between different operators within Europe.
We hope the European Commission will be successful in significantly reducing these wholesale charges, which will allow price reductions for customers roaming between different operators within Europe.
Hopefully, other mobile phone operators will now have to follow 3 Group's lead but will they - or will the European Commission have to force their hands, as usual?
Check out 3's press release on page two, then share your thoughts with us in the HEXUS. community.
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