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End of roaming charges for travellers in the EU in 2017
End of roaming charges for travellers in the EU in 2017 |
A pair of indicators to be observed |
Long inactivity of a given SIM card associated with use mostly, if not exclusively, while roaming; |
Subscription and sequential use of multiple SIM cards by the same customer while roaming; |
Fighting commercial abuses . Abuses could be related to the mass purchase and resale of SIM cards for permanent use outside the country of the operator issuing them. In such cases, the operator will be allowed to take immediate and proportionate measures while informing the national regulator (e.g. suspension of service on the basis of breach of contractual conditions). The operator has to simultaneously notify the national regulatory authority about the evidence of the systematic abuse and the measures taken. This enables the national regulatory authority to monitor the application of that measure in accordance with the established requirements and to react if necessary. Individual abuse by customers . Roam like at home is designed for travellers. Operators can check usage patterns to avoid abuse based on the above-mentioned indicators. In order to determine that the user might be abusively or anomalously using "Roam Like at Home", the operator would have to show that over a period of time of at least four months. If a customer spends more than two months abroad out of four months, and if the customer has consumed more abroad than at home over this time, operators will send an alert that customer. Once the alert is received, the customer will have two weeks to clarify the situation. If the user continues to remain abroad, operators will be able to apply small surcharges (equivalent to wholesale roaming caps, the Commission proposed a maximum of €0.04/min per call, €0.01/SMS and €0.0085/MB). In case of disagreement, complaints procedures must be put in place by the operator. If the dispute persists, the customer may complain to the national regulatory authority who will settle the case. The rules will protect consumers from adverse effects of an increase in domestic prices:
For pre- paid metered contracts: when a customer goes abroad, she/he can "Roam like at Home" up the amount of credit remaining on the pre-paid card. For data, the customer can use at least the volume that can be purchased by the remaining credit on the pre-paid card at the wholesale roaming data price cap.
For the most competitive contracts that offer unlimited data or data at very low domestic prices, below the wholesale cap: when a customer goes abroad she/he will continue to enjoy the full allowance of calls and texts. For data, the customer will have at least twice the volume of data that can be purchased by the value of the customer's monthly contract at the wholesale roaming data price cap.