International mobile roaming is one of the most important services in the European mobile operator's portfolio. According to figures released by the GSM Association some 42 per cent of Europeans travel outside their home country. And revenues from international roaming has accounted for up to 20 per cent of total mobile operator turnover in Europe. With the introduction of Pan European regulation the cost of roaming has become more visible and transparent. But outside Europe, to date there has been little regulatory intervention on roaming charges.
Mobile roaming is transforming itself in Europe as a result of regulatory intervention by the European Commission (EC). The introduction of a euro-tariff on retail and wholesale pricing for voice calls has resulted in a reduction of roaming tariffs within the European area but an increase in international roaming rates to destinations outside of Europe.
Synopis
This 170-page report supported with 48 Tables and 33 Charts looks at the evolvement of roaming prior to the introdcution of the EC cap and after. It is supported with in-depth country reviews - 7 European - 3 non-European countries). The report reveals the increasingly availability of 'opt in' bundles offered by operators to by-pass the EC cap regulation. There is also the bypass effect of Wi-Fi and VoIP services which are becoming an easier to use alternative to international roaming.
Some mobile operators are now moving away from bi-lateral roaming relationships. In the past operators helped found a series of roaming alliances - such as FreeMove or Bridge - which offered preferential rates for frequent travellers or business users - but now the importance of the roaming alliance has been overtaken by the rise of the Roaming Hub. The Roaming Hub enables mobile operators to interconnect to a wider range of counterparties and is becoming the preferred method to connect at a wholesale level.
This report benchmarks voice, SMS and data roaming prices across the countries surveyed in depth.
