The Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC) recently released the 6th report on international roaming on Europe's public mobile telephone networks, covering the period between 1 January and 30 June, 2010. This study reveals a high level of compliance with European Regulation on roaming (Regulation EC No. 717/2007 of 27 June, subsequently amended by EC Regulation No. 544/2009 of 18 June) in all Member States of the European Union (EU) and in countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) - Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein (for which, EC Regulation No. 544/2009 came into force only in the second quarter of 2010, replacing Regulation 717/2007).
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/EEA roaming voice communications is capped, in terms of communications received and communications made. Since 1 July 2009, consumer also have access to the Euro-SMS tariff, under which the price of an SMS sent using roaming intra-EU/EEA does not exceed the cap, 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 0.385 euros/minute in the 1st quarter of 2010, to 0.381 euros/minute in the 2nd quarter of 2010 (compared to a cap of 0.43 euros/minute Eurotariff set for the period under review). In terms of calls received, the European average of the Eurotariff stood at 0.163 euros/minute in the 1st quarter of 2010 and at 0.164 euros/minute in the 2nd quarter of 2010 (below the cap of 0.19 euros/minute then 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 first two quarters of 2010, below the cap of 0.11 euros/SMS. Regarding roaming data services, it is noted that for communication of off-net retail prices (prices charged where the home network and foreign host network are not owned by companies within the same group) the average intra-EU/EEA tariff continued to fall from 2.668 euros/Mb in the 4th quarter of 2009 to 2.604 euros/Mb in the 2nd quarter of 2010.
At the wholesale level, the tariffs 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. As for voice communications, the average wholesale tariff for the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2010 was 0.211 euros/minute billed, compared to the new cap established of 0.26 euros/minute. In terms of SMS, it is noted that in the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2010, the average wholesale tariffs in the EU/ EEA were, respectively, 0.039 euros/SMS and 0.038 euros/SMS, compared to the cap of 0.04 euros/SMS. The average wholesale tariff applicable to data communications was 0.443 euros/Mb and 0.364 euros/Mb, respectively, in the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2010, compared to the cap of 1.00 euros/Mb.
Further information:
- International Roaming - BEREC Benchmark Data Report for January 2010-June 2010 http://berec.europa.eu/eng/document_register/subject_matter/berec/reports/?doc=205
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- International Roaming - 5th BEREC Report https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?contentId=1023654
