Global Roaming Tariff Tracker

Updated:    Quarterly

Coverage:  70 operators in 50 countries

Synopsis
Roaming prices have confronted criticism in recent years and are undergoing significant changes at this present time. The European Commission has imposed regulation to the pricing of voice roaming charges and it saw the introduction of capped pricing in July 2007. Data roaming rates are being monitored by the EC and could also be capped in the future.

Roaming especially in the consumer market is perceived complex and expensive, despite operators having moved to attractive on-net pricing and easier-to-understand pricing structures, roaming prices remain difficult to track and will be a challenge to keep up with the changes.

At the time of launching the product in March 2007, it covered 47 mobile service providers across 35 countries and has since been expanded to cover 70 operators in 50 countries.  Findings reveal that offerings have increased through the launch of bundles and special schemes such as the Passport Service by Vodafone over time. Both voice and data calls price changes have been mainly downward with some oeprators increasing rates to non-European destinations.. Operators will be seeking to introduce innovative offers to help for the compensation of the potential loss in revenue from the imposed regulation.

Although a few service providers have initiated tariff reform in the sector, the reports finds that a high level of complexity in tariff structures and pricing levels persists. Marked differences in pricing too pertain between operators.

Information included within the report:

1) Voice roaming rates

• Calling back home
• Calling within a country
• Calling to another country
• Receiving a call

• SMS
• MMS
• GRPS/UMTS data

• 70 Service Providers across 50 countries, and continuously adding
• Voice and data tariffs presented in Excel in local currency and Euros. A tariff table for each service provider in each country market
• Trends & analysis Report with tables and charts
• Plus supplementary notes
• PLUS quarterly updates.

• Mobile, Wireless Internet and Satellite Providers and Operators
• Software and Equipment Vendors
• Supplier organisations
• Regulatory Bodies
• Consultancies

• Investors, Venture Capital Companies, Financial Service Companies

  Roaming Global Tariff Tracker - table of contents (PLUS 50 Spreadsheets)

  METHDOLOGY MANAGEMENT SUMMARY 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Roaming 1.2 EU position on roaming 1.3 Operators’ moves 2. KEY REPORT PARAMETERS 2.1 Summary 3. ROAMING TARIFFS: ANALYSIS 3.1 Country roaming in 3.2 Type of subscriber: post- or prepaid 3.3 Type of postpaid plan 3.4 Billing increment 3.5 Time of the day 4. TRENDS IN PRICING OF ROAMING VOICE AND DATA CALLS 4.1 Attractive pricing for on-net calls 4.2 Decline in roaming prices 4.3 Bundled approach 4.4 Incentives/Promotions 4.5 Competitive offerings 5. VOICE ROAMING RATE ANALYSIS 5.1 Making a call back to the home country 5.2 Making a call back within the country of roaming 5.3 Receiving a call 5.4 Calling another country 6. DATA ROAMING RATE ANALYSIS 6.1 SMS 6.2 MMS 6.3 GPRS/UMTS 7. LATEST TARIFF MOVES BY OPERATORS 8. CASE STUDIES 8.1 O2 UK 8.2 Swisscom 8.3 T-Mobile UK 8.4 Vodafone 8.5 Mobistar (Belgium)

  Roaming Global Tariff Tracker - list of tables and charts

  Figures       Figure 1 Proposed Price Caps by European Commission Figure 2 Operator Coverage March 2007 Figure 3 Example. A Pannon / Hungary postpaid subscriber calling back home Figure 4 Price example where rates depend on which network caller selects Figure 5 Price example where rates depend on type of subscriber Figure 6 Price example where rates depend on which postpaid plan subscribed to Figure 7 T-Mobile’s ‘WorldClass’ roaming service Figure 8 T-Mobile’s ’WorldClass’ countries Figure 9 Swisscom’s Home Pricing model ‘Euro Passport’ Figure 10 Example of roaming bundles available Figure 11 AwayPhone’s offerings Figure 12 Transatel’s offerings Figure 13 Pricing example: Operator making a distinction between calling back home and calling within the country Figure 14 Pricing example: Operator making a distinction between calling back home and calling within the country Figure 15 Example of SMS pricing when roaming Figure 16 Examples of MMS pricing when roaming Figure 17 Examples of GRPS pricing when roaming Figure 18 Belgium’s Mobistar’s Traveller Advantage options Figure 19 5th July 2006, Austrian mobile operator One’s tariff change Figure 20 Greek mobile operator Cosmote’s preferential rates Figure 21 Special promotion from O2 Germany Figure 22 Belgium mobile operator’s Mobistar’s roaming rates Figure 23 Swisscom’s Euro Passport scheme Figure 24 UK’s Orange’s new rates from 21st August 2006. Figure 25 Comparison of Orange UK old and new roaming rates for businesses Figure 26 T-Mobile’ Austria’s options Figure 27 Telefonica O2 in the Czech Republic’s ‘My Europe’ options Figure 28 Vodafone/ Passport in the UK Figure 29 WorldSim’s roaming prices Figure 30 T-Mobile UK’s roaming prices Figure 31 CheMobile’s roaming rates Figure 32 Vodafone Romania’s ‘Europe’ tariff Figure 33 Swisscom’s options launched in November 2006 Figure 34 Operator 3 in the UK’s pricing for 3 Like Home Figure 35 Telenor’s new roaming rates from 1st April 2007 Figure 36 Airtel Bharti’s new roaming rates Figure 37 O2’s ‘My Europe’ option Figure 38 Vodafone partner network Figure 39 Vodafone ‘Passport’ comparison 1 minute versus 5 minute Figure 40 Vodafone ‘Passport’ comparison 1 minute versus 5 minute expressed in percentages     Charts       Chart 1 Breakdown of number of zones used for surveyed operators Chart 2 The ratio of the cheapest and most expensive rate for calls back home Chart 3 Swisscom ‘Euro Option’ vs standard Swiss roaming charges Chart 4 Snap shot of T-Mobile flat rate roaming charges. Chart 5 Mobistar Traveller Advantage.