Mobscope

European mobile operators have launched a Web site that enables European consumers to find the best tariffs for making and receiving mobile phone calls when travelling abroad this summer. The site, which features up-to-date prices supplied directly by 75 operators from across the European Union, is the most comprehensive and accurate source of roaming information for travellers.

Available in six languages, the site http://www.roaming.gsmeurope.org/ shows prices by individual operator for a two-minute peak-time call to a fixed-line in the traveller’s home country, prices for receiving a two minute peak-time call from home and the cost of sending and receiving text messages when travelling within Europe. The new site was developed by GSM Europe (GSME), the European arm of the GSM Association, with input from the European Regulators Group (ERG), to ensure European consumers have an easy way of finding the best mobile roaming rate when travelling in Europe.

“With competition ensuring that a wide choice of roaming packages and price plans are available in Europe, it is vital that the mobile industry makes it easy for its customers to find the best rate for their needs,” said Kaisu Karvala, Chair of GSME. “Customers will have access to constantly-updated information, covering many different roaming price plans, direct from the industry.”

“The ERG welcomes this initiative from GSM Europe,” added Kip Meek, Chair of the ERG, which represents national telecoms regulators from across the European Union. “Making prices more transparent is an important step towards making the international roaming market work and providing a better deal for consumers”.

The new site is more comprehensive than many existing sites as it includes prices available under packages specially tailored to roamers, highlighting the wide range of innovative tariff packages mobile operators are using to distinguish themselves from their competitors.

Supporting quotes from participating operators:

“Orange is pleased to participate and endorse this website which goes hand in hand with our commitment to communicate in a clear and transparent manner to our customers,” said Damian Reid, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Performance, Orange. “The new website is a positive step forward for the industry and good news for all customers wishing to use roaming services.”

“The result of eight months work, this Web site shows that European mobile operators have a great interest in giving their customers full transparency on roaming tariffs,” said Wolfgang Kopf, EVP Public and Regulatory Affairs T-Mobile International. “The diverse range of prices contained on the site clearly demonstrates that the roaming market is innovative and already competitive. The Web site will also show that roaming prices throughout Europe are declining since many operators are already implementing substantial price cuts.”

“This is the first Web site to fully reflect the wide diversity of roaming tariffs now available to Europeans,” said Richard Feasey, Director of Public Policy at Vodafone. “The GSME site will provide customers with accurate, easy-to-access, useful information that will give them even more price transparency.”

source: GSM World