European Commission wants greater transparency in roaming charges

Anyone who's come back from Europe with $900 in roaming charges (next time use a local SIM!) will appreciate the news that the European Commission has decided to wage war on bloated roaming charges by publishing a website that'll list exactly how much it costs to make a call while outside of your home country. Naturally the wireless carriers aren't happy about the prospect of all this extra transparency, since bloated roaming charges are an easy way for them to pump up revenues, but if they've got nothing to hide they shouldn't really care, should they?

[Conrad Quilty-Harper @ Dec 19th 2005 12:17AM]

What I really want is decent data rates for GPRS and GSM connections for the net and stuff. I can't even find the T-Mobile rates for GPRS cost/MB. They need to put a comprehensive list for all charges that the mobile operators have...

[mike @ Dec 19th 2005 12:17AM]

How do you go about getting a local sim in another country anyway.

Sorry to ask, im just curious as my mom will be traveling.

[Johnathan J. @ Dec 19th 2005 12:17AM]

Go to google and query "Prepaid SIM (whatever country)" and you should get quick results.

[totalundone @ Dec 19th 2005 12:17AM]

I think the way it works is that you get a pay as you go type service when you're overseas. You need to buy a phone with service, but anyone can buy one of the warner brothers or disney type kids phones (they were ~30 euros last time i was overseas) and just pop the sim into your much nicer, unlocked phone (if you would like).

Phone are much cheaper to buy overseas.

[Samuel Lago @ Dec 19th 2005 12:17AM]

Shouldn't we have mobile phones behave like the Euro i.e. it can be used everywhere and although there is price fluctuation it stays more or less consistent.

Why should I pay more for a service that should be the same throughout all of Europe

[Samuel Lago @ Dec 19th 2005 12:17AM]

Shouldn't we have mobile phones behave like the Euro i.e. it can be used everywhere and although there is price fluctuation it stays more or less consistent.

Why should I pay more for a service that should be the same throughout all of Europe

[geekpdx @ Dec 19th 2005 12:17AM]

Additionally, if you don't have an unlocked phone, you can usually call your carrier's customer service line and explain to them that you will be traveling overseas and need some help unlocking your phone in order to use it.

[Apoco:Lips @ Dec 19th 2005 12:17AM]

in Ireland, you can buy a pay-as-you-go sim for only �10 ($12)and it usually contains free credit that exceed the cost of the sim card...

http://www.vodafone.ie/onlinestore/product.jsp?cat=simpacks&productId=16393
https://shop.o2.ie/catalog/default.php?cPath=39

Sim Cards: The more you know.... ^_^

[Mario Van Pebbles @ Dec 19th 2005 12:17AM]

While you guys talk about all that I want a bigger image of the girl riding a bike on her mobile phone wearing a black parka, because that is more important.

[Greg @ Dec 19th 2005 12:17AM]

while on the continent go to any bigger electronics store (e.g. Media Markt is like Best Buy) and you will be able to pick up a Prepaid SIM for cheap. Prices between 10-50 Euro. For this you get a SIM with a new phone number in the given country, plus about 0-20 Euro worth of airtime which can be also used to call the US.
Sometimes for a little extra you can buy a prepaid kit which includes the SIM card and a cheap handset, this is usually very good value. Be careful tho, these handsets will only work with its supplied SIM card.

In most countries you will have to show an ID (passport) to buy.

Another way to research prepaid prices and deals is to look up the GSM operator of the country you visit on the internet.

Greg

[Gary @ Dec 19th 2005 12:17AM]

What I don't get is: I'm with Vodafone UK, Vodafone being the largest Mobile Phone operator in the world has Vodafone.uk, Vodafone.de, Vodafone.es etc.. etc.. yet If I goto Spain it costs me a fortune to use their ES service and visa versa.......... Why, if the operators don't need to pay for the rental costs abroad now, do we still need these bloated roaming charges. Grrrrr

Anyways go get a Pay as you go sim pack from almost any store in the UK or a fnac or something in France, Spain or Belgium.

[Matt Beau @ Dec 19th 2005 12:17AM]

One problem is that phones are often locked, which prevents you from putting a SIM from another provider into your phone. Check this out before you travel so that you're prepared...