European Costs

Ah du kannst Eifeler Platt ? (You know how to speak Eifeler Low German?)

 

Yes, I can understand it, but not Tirolisch or Bayerisch or anything that passes for German in Switzerland.

Our next door neighbor worked for the Bitburger Pils brewery. He always had too much beer (if too much Bitburger is possible.)

 

EU Investigating European Roaming fees

I figured this article fit's into this subject.

EU Investigates T-Mobile, Vodafone Roaming Fees

February 14, 2005 | 11:33 AM

The European Union head office said Thursday it launched an investigation into mobile phone roaming prices charged in Germany by Vodafone Group PLC and T-Mobile International AG. The Commission "challenges the high rates" the two companies have been charging other mobile phone operators for international roaming services use of their German networks.

The EU head office said it sent two letters of complaint to T-Mobile and Vodafone "because the Commission believes the companies' practices may be contrary ... to rules on abuse of monopoly power."

The complaint boils down to what officials believe is almost a double charge. Foreign mobile operators have to pay the companies' operating tariffs for access to their networks when their own subscribers use their cell phones in Germany. The Commission said such high roaming charges "hurt consumers because they are passed on in full to the ... subscribers."

Preliminary investigations started in 2001 found that T-Mobile "abused a dominant position" in Germany between 1997 and 2003 by charging "unfair and excessive prices" to other European operators. EU regulators said they came to similar conclusions with Vodafone for the 2000 to 2003 period.

EU spokesman Jonathan Todd told reporters the investigation was similar to one launched last year against Vodafone in Britain also for alleged overcharging.

EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes withdrew from the earlier German case "to avoid any conceivable conflict of interest" because she once sat on the board of British cell phone company O2, a competitor of Vodafone. Todd said European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso was handling the case instead.

Fines of up to 10 percent of each company's annual sales could be imposed by EU antitrust officials if the companies are found guilty of abusing their dominant position in the German market.

The Commission said its aim was "to ensure that European consumers are not overcharged when they use their mobile phones on their travels throughout the EU." Both Vodafone and T-Mobile will have an opportunity to address the Commission's allegations in an oral hearing with EU investigators.

 

Re: EU Investigating European Roaming fees

Both companies also charge outrageously high prices, even if you roam on their own networks in other countries(like T-Mobile UK, Voda UK,etc.). European roaming in general is a TOTAL ripoff!!!

 

This may change things if they are found guilty of overcharging.

 

We shall see...All European providers overcharge customers one way or the other...that's the bottom line. International roaming in europe is very expensive.