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ITU acts to cut roaming charges
Unified action by ITU members to reduce "bill
shock" for consumers
Geneva, 14 September 2012 – ITU members from the public and private
sectors have agreed on measures to reduce ‘bill-shock’ whereby consumers are
faced with unexpected and excessive charges for mobile roaming. They have
approved a number of measures to empower consumers and encourage operators to
lower tariffs. These measures (Recommendation ITU-T D.98) will represent the
first truly international agreement taking steps towards lowering roaming costs.
Governments and regulators are recommended to explore ways to protect and
empower consumers in determining their best choices among the array of options
available to them in the rapidly evolving mobile marketplace, for example by
making information on international mobile services clearer and more
transparent, and by making it easier for consumers to choose a network abroad
that offers the best value. In addition, alerts should be sent to consumers as
they approach a certain cost limit for roaming, with a block placed on further
usage unless authorized by the user. Market-based solutions are advocated,
including cultivating regional cooperation among operators and regulators, and
encouraging them to reach agreements on lowering wholesale roaming tariffs.
Possible regulatory measures are also recommended, such as placing caps on
prices charged to consumers for mobile roaming.
ITU Secretary General Hamadoun I. Touré said, “ITU Member States agree on the
need for international action on roaming charges, and this agreement is a clear
indication of a willingness to address the issue for the good of both consumers
and the global trade. I believe operators will see benefits in the long term as
higher volumes of traffic are generated when it becomes more attractive for
consumers to use their phones and mobile services while travelling.”
International roaming is by nature a multi-country issue, and unified action
from the international community is therefore the only means to address
“bill-shock”. The issues involved and their degree vary from region to region
(and also within regions), in terms of economics, market structures and
regulatory frameworks. As there is no guarantee that unilateral action by one
country’s national regulatory authority will lead to reciprocal action in other
countries, cooperation between regulators and policy makers – either bilaterally
or multilaterally – is likely to be more effective than unilateral action by any
one national regulatory authority.
Additional measures in Recommendation ITU-T D.98 include advocating the use
of services that enable substitutes such as different SIM cards (an example is
the use of global virtual mobile network operator cards), dual-SIM handsets, or
the rental of a second handset. Member States are also encouraged to investigate
the provision of international mobile roaming services by other means, for
example by the take-up of new technologies so as to increase user choice.
The World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT-12)
in Dubai this December will consider proposals on international mobile roaming
for inclusion in the global treaty on international telecommunications. This
treaty known as the “International Telecommunication Regulations” (ITRs) is up
for review for the first time since 1988 – long before the explosion of mobile
communications – to take into account the vastly altered telecommunications
environment. Proponents believe that regulations to ensure transparency of
end-user prices for international mobile services, and for users to promptly
receive full information when crossing a national border would lead to greater
competition with potential benefits for consumers. Another proposal would ensure
that prices are based on either the actual costs incurred by the service
provider, or comparable to the prices charged in the user’s home country, or to
those charged to customers in the visited country.
For more information, please contact:
Sanjay Acharya
Chief, Media Relations and Public Information, ITU
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Toby Johnson
Senior Communication Officer
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