Tales of English tourists being charged hundreds of pounds for watching mobile television in Spain, or of German parents forced to pay huge mobile phone bills due to their children checking their emails on school trips, are already becoming commonplace.
And, the proliferation of more affordable smartphones, such as the new 3G iPhone or the last versions of Blackberry, means unexpected high bills can also affect those users most aware of the dangers associated with irresponsible use of mobile Internet abroad, warns BEUC.
The consumer group underlines that new functions included in the last generation smartphones, such as the automatic checking of email received or the research of available updates for mobile software, can result in unwanted charges, especially when consumers are abroad and therefore subject to higher roaming tariffs.
Indeed, every time the telephone carries out these unrequested tasks, it connects to the Internet, with a consequent cost for users with contracts providing a limited or no Web package. Even unlimited contracts are subject to this drawback when the consumer is abroad as roaming is generally not included in the agreements.
BEUC made these concerns clear to the European Commission in its response to the public consultation conducted by Brussels on the review of the current roaming regulation. Based on this opinion and on the responses from other relevant stakeholders, Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding will announce the measures that the Commission intends to take in the autumn.
At stake is the possible extension of price ceilings to data roaming, as well as the prolongation of current caps on voice roaming and the introduction of new charge limits to SMS roaming (EurActiv 15/07/08).
Reding has already made clear that she will go ahead with voice and text roaming, while she is still making up her mind concerning data. Bill shocks are universally condemned, both by consumers and by the industry, which fears a failure in the take-up of the new highly promising market. But what remains more controversial is the means in which to tackle the issue - whether by imposing compulsory measures on operators or by increasing and improving information to consumers.
Initially, the latter option appears the most likely to be adopted. Consumers are already freely informed about roaming prices as soon as they cross an EU border. A stronger approach could require operators to alert users if abnormal costs occur or when they exceed predefined charge limits.
