OECD calls for regulation to end the great global mobile roaming rip-off

The Australian Government says it has in place a number of initiatives to address the issue of high, and often opaque, charges for international mobile roaming, but it has stopped short of seeking either bilateral or multilateral regulation, despite a parliamentary enquiry calling on it to do so, and despite the OECD suggesting that regulation is the only solution.

The OECD has undertaken a detailed analysis of mobile data roaming rates between member nations, concluding that the prices are too high and that this signifies a lack of retail or wholesale competition, or both.

The OECD has called its members' governments to boost competition in international mobile roaming markets in order to drive down the high prices being paid by consumers and businesses.

Written by: Stuart CornerOpera Software has produced a report that highlights the enormous variation in the prices charged for international mobile data roaming.

{loadposition stuart}Unfortunately the operators are not identified, and Australia is not included in the coverage either as a roaming destination or country of origin.

Written by: Stuart Corner | Published in: RegulationAn OECD report on Internet traffic exchange says the current model based on voluntary contractual agreements has been hugely successful and could be seriously undermined by attempts - reported to be on the agenda of the ITU's global conference in December - to impose the type of regulation that has governed international voice telephony for decad

Two years after an Australian House of Representatives enquiry called on the Government to start bilateral discussions with a view to regulating mobile roaming charges, the Australian and New Zealand governments have launched a formal investigation into trans-Tasman mobile roaming services.

Written by: Graeme Philipson | Published in: MobilityThe Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released for comment a draft International Mobile Roaming (IMR) standard that aims to improve consumer understanding of unexpected high charges incurred when using their mobile phones and other devices overseas.

Launch of new mobile plan by Vodafone NZ with a huge differential between on-net and off-net calling rates has led the NZ Commerce Commission to reverse an earlier decision. It now says that mobile termination rates - the prices mobile operators charge other telcos for delivery of calls to their customers' phones - should be regulated.

Written by: Graeme Philipson | Published in: MobilityA report from Juniper Research says revenues generated from mobile roaming at more than US$80 billion by 2017, compared to US$46 billion this year. These revenues will largely be driven by increasing data usage, despite a reduction in roaming charges.