This is ridiculous and makes a mockery of the free Market. Suppliers should choose which services they wish to offer. You don't see the EU mandating McDonalds to hand out Burger King menus or vice versa. If the consumer wants it they can source a provider or choose the correct plan. As one poster notes, the cost will be passed on to everyone- not just the user.
Have you been living under a rock since September? The "free market" has caused a catastrophic global economic meltdown. Your ideas have blown up in your face. The global consensus now is that regulation is important (The EU told us that decades ago), and that companies are irresponsible and heartless unless you slap them in the face with a statutory mandate.
Isn't that cute, you think you know economy :P Cellular communications are an oligopoly by far (there is basically one company for every 16 million EU citizens), the best thing is for the governments to intervene, and since you know so much about markets and stuff, you surely remember what a cartel is right ?
Cheers guys I love the childish remarks (read: "aw that's cute you think you know economics and something about the global free market failing). Wrong.
The global free market, as you call it- was already regulated but just badly, inefficiently and over-governed (see: FSA vs. Bank of England debacle). Shit regulation caused this, not lack of it.
To address the point about the cartel/oligarchy- my point is not one founded in extremism to the point where I don't understand the telecommunications industry (after all, I worked in it). A light touch for consumer protection is always encouraged; but mandating businesses just hinders them- money just travels a different way. A light nudge is always best, rather than huge socialist tax-blowing measures. Once again (FSA vs. Bank of England debacle).
What cost will be past on? The cost of not blocking VoIP ports on their networks? I just hope that standard protocols like SIP take precedence over proprietary like Skype. I am mostly sad SIP hasn't been a bigger hit. Mostly because people are uninformed. Hopefully this will also lead to set top boxes being legislated to use standars like DVB-C/S and h.264. This kind of stuff is very important and the EU is way ahead of at least my Swedish government when it comes to legislate for free markets on new infrustructures. I have yet to understand CableCARD in the US but I believe it is something in that vein to.
This is truly important stuff, big corporations don't like free markets, they prefer monopoly. Own the clients not by loyalty because of good products, own them by eliminating choice. Which is why black fiber/physical infrastructure should be government and service providers private. What if we had three road networks in every country and you could only drive on the ones you subscribed too?
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This is ridiculous and makes a mockery of the free Market. Suppliers should choose which services they wish to offer. You don't see the EU mandating McDonalds to hand out Burger King menus or vice versa. If the consumer wants it they can source a provider or choose the correct plan. As one poster notes, the cost will be passed on to everyone- not just the user.
Scrap the EU!
(love from London, England)
I bet you vote UKIP. Or Tory.
Obviously you forgot what it was like before the EU regulated roaming charges. That wasn't free market economics before, it was coordinated extortion.
"I bet you vote UKIP. Or Tory."
Because Labour has worked out so well. And the Lib Dems have no feasible ideas for just about anything.
Have you been living under a rock since September? The "free market" has caused a catastrophic global economic meltdown. Your ideas have blown up in your face. The global consensus now is that regulation is important (The EU told us that decades ago), and that companies are irresponsible and heartless unless you slap them in the face with a statutory mandate.
Consumer protection > 'Free' market, in Europe, and thank the gods for that.
You see the locked down stripped of features phones offered by draconian carriers in the US? That's your free market.
I quite prefer the government regulated version in Europe.
Isn't that cute, you think you know economy :P
Cellular communications are an oligopoly by far (there is basically one company for every 16 million EU citizens), the best thing is for the governments to intervene, and since you know so much about markets and stuff, you surely remember what a cartel is right ?
Cheers guys I love the childish remarks (read: "aw that's cute you think you know economics and something about the global free market failing). Wrong.
The global free market, as you call it- was already regulated but just badly, inefficiently and over-governed (see: FSA vs. Bank of England debacle). Shit regulation caused this, not lack of it.
To address the point about the cartel/oligarchy- my point is not one founded in extremism to the point where I don't understand the telecommunications industry (after all, I worked in it). A light touch for consumer protection is always encouraged; but mandating businesses just hinders them- money just travels a different way. A light nudge is always best, rather than huge socialist tax-blowing measures. Once again (FSA vs. Bank of England debacle).
What cost will be past on? The cost of not blocking VoIP ports on their networks? I just hope that standard protocols like SIP take precedence over proprietary like Skype. I am mostly sad SIP hasn't been a bigger hit. Mostly because people are uninformed. Hopefully this will also lead to set top boxes being legislated to use standars like DVB-C/S and h.264. This kind of stuff is very important and the EU is way ahead of at least my Swedish government when it comes to legislate for free markets on new infrustructures. I have yet to understand CableCARD in the US but I believe it is something in that vein to.
This is truly important stuff, big corporations don't like free markets, they prefer monopoly. Own the clients not by loyalty because of good products, own them by eliminating choice. Which is why black fiber/physical infrastructure should be government and service providers private. What if we had three road networks in every country and you could only drive on the ones you subscribed too?