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T-Mobile says it couldn't reach a 3G roaming deal with AT&T, AT&T says otherwise
There's a pretty hilarious conversation going on between execs at AT&T and T-Mobile USA's lawyers right now in arguments being made with the FCC as the commission debates data roaming policies -- we don't think it means much in practical terms, but it's a good read nonetheless. In brief, T-Mobile casts the first stone by saying that it "has not been able to achieve a 3G roaming agreement with AT&T" despite the fact that AT&T has established agreements with a number of foreign carriers. AT&T wastes no time firing back a response, saying that it isn't aware of any request to establish such an agreement... and here's where it gets good: they politely remind T-Mobile that the two carriers operate on incompatible 3G spectrum, and therefore AT&T doesn't "have a current desire" to set anything up, but if T-Mobile really wants something, they'll be more than happy to amend their current agreement as such. We suspect this is probably all a misunderstanding on several levels -- T-Mobile's initial argument was filed not by a T-Mobile employee, but by one of its lawyers, and it's entirely reasonable to think that the lawyer didn't realize they had no agreement simply because of the incompatibility (AT&T uses 850 / 1900MHz, T-Mobile uses AWS). Drama!
Verizon keeps buttering up the feds, supports law requiring it to provide more roaming
Rural and regional carriers have been looking for the FCC to bring down the hammer on compulsory roaming from the big players for years now, and in light of the recent investigations into potential anti-competitive practices, Verizon's throwing yet another bone in an apparent effort to be on its best behavior while the scrutiny continues. This time around, the company is proposing that a law be put in effect requiring it to offer smaller carriers two years of guaranteed roaming contracts in areas where those smaller carriers own spectrum but haven't yet built out their network, with certain situations entitling them to a third year. The regionals weren't happy with the handset exclusivity compromise and they don't appear to be happy with this deal, either -- Leap, owner of Cricket, has already come out and complained that Verizon need roaming contracts "over two decades as it built out its network and acquired competitors" and is only offering a couple years in return, so this battle may be far from over.[Via Phone Scoop]
Vodafone murders roaming charges in cold blood -- for the summer, anyway
Who needs cheap roaming when you've got free roaming? It's funny how much crap the GSMA has given the European Union over its law-bound roaming caps for carriers, only to have Vodafone UK turn around and wipe roaming charges off the map altogether. From June 1 through August 31, subscribers who opt into the carrier's Vodafone Passport service pay home rates for voice calls from 35 European countries plus Australia and New Zealand; afterwards, they'll pay 75p to connect, which still seems reasonable if you make a few very long, droning calls (say, boring but obligatory corporate teleconferences). Unfortunately, data roaming's still more expensive than it should be -- but we suppose you could try doing some HSCSD if you were the enterprising type. [Via MobileBurn]
European roaming caps finalized for July 1 enforcement
The EU's latest proposal to cap roaming costs among its member nations on a tiered multi-year plan passed with flying colors before Parliament this week, meaning the deal goes into law effective July 1. There's a lot of push-back on this one from the GSMA -- makes sense, considering they represent carriers -- and concern that affected carriers will respond by simply raising domestic rates to counterbalance the lost revenue, but ultimately, it seems the powers that be are rolling the bones in the hopes that this works out in consumers' best interests. Telecoms commish Viviane Reding says roaming texts could drop in cost by a solid 60 percent, so yeah, we'd say that's a win.
EU roaming drama continues, tentative pricing agreement reached
In Europe? Want cheaper international roaming? Of course you do -- if you don't you're either a carrier or a sick puppy -- and it looks like you just might get your wish. Members of the European Parliament have agreed in principle to reducing the caps on international voice, text, and data roaming to €0.43 per outgoing minute, €0.19 per incoming minute, €0.11 each, and €1.00 per MB wholesale, respectively, on July 1 of this year. Voice minutes further reduce to €0.39 / €0.15 and €0.35 / €0.11 on July 1 of 2010 and 2011, while data ends up as low as €0.50 per MB in two years from now. Furthermore, carriers will be required by law to warn customers when they get close to hitting 50 worth of data roaming, at which point they'll need to consciously agree to bust the cap -- by SMS, for example -- otherwise they'll automatically be cut off to prevent insane, unexpected bills. If all goes according to plan, the proposal will be brought to a full vote next month.
T-Mobile produces official statement regarding international G1 data roaming
Okay G1 owners, so here's the end-all answer to your data roaming quandaries. For those not caught up, there has been quite the hubbub going around about the G1's inability to not suck down data whilst traveling aboard. Allegedly, the handset would continue to digest pricey bits and bytes overseas even after users had selected that data roaming be disabled. Now, T-Mobile has issued an official response (posted in full after the break) to clear things up, and the gist of it is this: for users with a bone stock G1, the "Off" selection in data roaming should work fine, but third-party applications can essentially override this command and wreak havoc on one's phone bill. From the horse's mouth: "Some third-party applications available for download on Android Market require access to the internet and have the ability to turn on data roaming when in use. Customers are informed whether an application will use this feature prior to downloading, but should also be aware when traveling outside the country."
UK T-Mobile G1s now have option to disable / forge ahead with data roaming
The intarwebz have been ablaze with unruly individuals kicking up all sorts of dust about the G1's apparent inability to disable data roaming when traveling overseas, and now a fix is in effect for those in the UK. According to an official tidbit from T-Mobile UK: "In order to ensure that customers do not incur unexpected costs, roaming is disabled on new UK G1 models; there is an option which allows users to enable roaming, but when this is selected the user will receive a message to confirm that there will be additional costs incurred." That whole "new UK G1 models" has us curious about the "old" models, but hopefully those newfangled firmware updates brought along this functionality -- anyone care to hop a flight and see?[Via modmyGphone, thanks neerhaj]
Verizon brings new bolt-on international data plans to vanilla handsets
Verizon just put the finishing touches on an international data plan rework back in August, but it's now gearing up to offer a pair of roaming options for those without a smartphone / PDA phone. Starting November 16th, VZW customers who own a down-to-Earth dumbphone will be able to pay $19.99 per month for 10MB of international data or $29.99 per month for 20MB; the plan will allow users to access picture / video messaging, Visual Voicemail, mobile IM, BREW downloads or the world wide web. Of course, this cheaper data only works in VZW's list of Preferred Data Coverage countries, which includes just Bermuda, Canada, Israel, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Saipan, Guam and South Korea. Wait, is that GSM we hear laughing in the corner? Oh, it is.
Merger aside, Leap and MetroPCS put together roaming deal
Just because MetroPCS' unsolicited advances to Leap got rejected doesn't mean it can't check its damaged ego at the door long enough to get some other business put away. The two regionals sat down recently to hammer out a pretty comprehensive package of collaboration, throwing in a new 10-year roaming agreement, a spectrum swap whereby Leap gets coverage in San Diego, Fresno, Seattle, and parts of Washington and Oregon while MetroPCS picks up Dallas / Fort Worth plus some Louisiana and Florida territory, and a mutual agreement to drop any pending litigation against one another. Can't you just feel the love in the air?
Verizon, AT&T retool international data plans, still heart-stoppingly expensive
Seems like every time we're out of the States, we find ourselves fighting an overwhelming urge to whip out our phones every five to ten minutes, restore our cleverly disabled data APNs, and submit to the kind of punishment that only international data roaming can deliver. Giving into those kinds of urges can quickly lead to bills in the hundreds or thousands of dollars, thanks to data roaming packages that have historically been very weak and involve some insanely meager monthly allowance followed by a per-kilobyte fee high enough to make even the hardened business traveler beg for mercy. Seems AT&T and Verizon are both finally realizing that faster data speeds and more capable phones mean that users want at least a few fleeting moments with those services while abroad, though, introducing a series of new packages that should make roaming just marginally more palatable. For its part, AT&T's new offerings include a $60 add-on smartphone plan for 50MB in 67 countries around the globe -- up from 41 previously -- and another that bundles 5GB of domestic laptop data plus 200MB internationally for a sobering $230. On the Verizon side, the big news is a $130 laptop plan that gives users 5GB in the US and Canada, plus 100MB in Mexico and a handful of other countries for $20 per megabyte. In other words, you still need this service to justify the cost, but at least it won't put you as deeply into the poor house as it did last month. No YouTubing from China, y'hear?
NTT DoCoMo users find their phones just a little too good at roaming
Is there really such a thing as too much signal strength? For residents of Tsushima in Japan, the answer is a solid "yes." Folks in the area are a mere 33 miles from the South Korean shore, and NTT DoCoMo customers with international roaming enabled are finding themselves roaming on those powerful airwaves across the Korea Strait -- naturally leading to some rather unpleasant charges. The carrier reports that 38 models are affected by the problem (presumably every handset that's capable of roaming in South Korea), and unfortunately, their only solution is to have affected customers manually configure their phones to use the local network. It'd be awesome if they just juiced the towers to be, like, ten times more powerful, but we suppose that maybe that's not the healthy thing to do.[Via IntoMobile]
Cubic Telecom hopes to make global roaming reasonable
Employing a variety of creative techniques, Ireland's Cubic Telecom is looking to take the bank-breaking sting out of carrying your phone abroad. Announced at TechCrunch40 today, the centerpiece of Cubic's strategy is its "virtual PBX" -- up to 50 local numbers of the user's choosing can be linked to a single SIM, making it affordable for callers to get in touch no matter where they may be. Also invloved is the "MAXroam" SIM itself -- toting aggressively discounted roaming rates that are the "result of years of negotiations with GSM carriers around the world" -- designed to be used everywhere a subscriber may be. Finally, Cubic is taking a hybrid GSM / WiFi approach; its handsets will support both traditional calls and VoIP services, with all VoIP calls on its own network coming free of charge. The MAXroam SIM card will be available separately for $40 starting September 24 or you'll be able to get it with one of the company's own handsets, a basic model for $135 (pictured) and a Windows Mobile device for $219; both phones launch October 1 with a MAXroam card included along with $8 in calling credit.
FCC requires nationals to offer cheap roaming
Concluding a fight that's been waged by smaller, regional carriers for a good long while now, the FCC has ruled in favor of the regionals by requiring that voice, messaging, and push-to-talk features must be offered at "reasonable" roaming rates between carriers of like technologies. Though the ruling is universal, it clearly benefits the smaller carriers whose subscribers spend more time blanketed by megacarriers' signals than the other way around. We'd be shocked if the nationals didn't get cracking on an appeal right away, but subscribers in rural areas should have an easy go of it in the meantime -- on voice and texting features, anyway; data roaming didn't make the FCC's list of "reasonable" roaming pricing, it seems.
EU to call out carriers not offering cheaper roaming rates
Time's up, dear European carriers! If you haven't made known your plans to offer up cheaper roaming rates by now, you're about to be called out. Reportedly, the European Commission is readying a web site that would "include the names of operators from all EU countries, whether they have offered the Eurotariff, which kind of Eurotariff they have offered, and those who haven't done anything." Additionally, it was reinforced that the new rates were "not a recommendation, but a regulation," and that customers who were unable to receive their Eurotariff could take their operator to court. 'Course, we highly doubt the legal fees would make this approach worthwhile, but let's not forgot to point and laugh at the nonconformists when the telling site goes live.
National Geographic's Talk Abroad phone now on sale
So it looks like that so-boring-we-want-to-cry National Geographic Talk Abroad phone we came across a few months back is finally shipping. The specifics are actually pretty complicated -- we recommend going over the pricing with a fine-tooth comb if you think this thing is for you -- but the idea is to offer relatively inexpensive, prepaid world roaming. You can rent the handset (because let's be honest, you don't want a phone this basic in your possession for more than a couple weeks at a time) starting at $70 a week, which includes 30 minutes of talk time in 50 countries, unlimited incoming minutes in 65, and a bunch of adapters for the silly-looking sockets you may encounter in foreign lands. Then again, if you simply must make the Talk Abroad your own, you can scoop it up for $199 and recharge the plan at your leisure, or just buy the SIM (our favorite option) for $79.
Boingo set to roam on FON's worldwide WiFi network
Boingo, which just recently flashed its Boingo Mobile services in your grill at 3GSM, has now made its somewhat sensational claims seem a bit more justified by partnering with FON to roam on its worldwide network of WiFi hotspots. Once the agreement is executed, Boingo's customers will reportedly have "access to an additional 130,000 hotspot locations," which will more than double the company's network size. Of course, this isn't the only partnership FON has inked in recent memory either, and while one may expect to fork over slightly more than the previously advertised $7.95 per month for an expanded Biongo Mobile network, it looks like the rates are staying put. No word yet on when the WiFi roaming will go live, but if you happened to be swarmed by Foneros in your neck of the woods, Boingo Mobile just might be worth the effort.
EU finally strikes roaming deal
It still ain't exactly cheap, but the key word here seems to be "cheaper" as negotiators for the European Union have finally hammered out an agreement for roaming rates between countries. The deal calls for outgoing rates to be capped at €0.49 (about 66 cents), while incoming calls top out at €0.24 (about 33 cents), apparently a far cry from some of the rates folks are seeing currently. Be that as it may, subscribers will have two months to opt into a compliant plan or stick with their current one -- once the agreement is finalized, that is, at which point carriers will have one month to offer the new rates. Best of all, though, the legislation calls for rates to fall further in 2009. How often does that happen?[Via textually.org]
European Union tries, fails to agree on roaming rates
For a good percentage of chatters in these parts, roaming is very rarely a concern; modern rate plans have been constructed in such a way that even if you are roaming from time to time, you don't notice -- not even when your bill arrives. For Europeans, though, you can imagine that roaming might suck, seeing how you've got all those countries in pretty tight quarters. The European Union met recently in an effort to agree on caps for international roaming rates (and whether consumers should automatically be moved to the new pricing structures), but -- surprise, surprise -- representatives came away empty-handed. At issue seems to be the fact that the European Parliament wants rates capped at 40 euro cents (about $0.54) per minute for making calls and 15 euro cents (about $0.20) for receiving them, while constituent nations are gunning for something a little higher. Carriers, naturally, don't want hard caps at all, citing the stifling effect they'll allegedly have on infrastructure development, but at any rate, the EU's getting back together on May 2 to have another go at the negotiations. Good luck, guys![Via textually.org]
Who won't be getting the iPhone?
To find out that the Apple iPhone (heard of it?) would roll out locked to Cingular on a multi-year exclusivity agreement was difficult enough for some folks to swallow. Imagine, then, the pain and suffering that'll be experienced by those in areas that Cingular has forsaken. Case in point: the Burlington Free Press has noted that Cingular offers not a sliver of coverage in the quaint state of Vermont, leaving well over half a million good citizens (Ben and Jerry included, we reckon) without their fix. While our initial instinct might be to buy the phone elsewhere and just roam 'til the cows come home (literally -- this is Vermont, after all), Cingular policy states that a customer's address must lie in a directly covered area -- and even for the few that manage to skate by that one, the carrier's known for canceling accounts that roam excessively. Of course, Cingular points out that eager buyers are more than welcome to buy it contract-free without activating an account, but there's not a lot of fun in that; meanwhile, Apple's staying mum on the subject, perhaps for fear of further agitating hundreds of thousands of irate Vermonters. And the problem is by no means limited to Vermont: residents of large parts of Maine, Virginia, West Virginia, New Mexico, the Dakotas, Arizona, Montana, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, and Colorado (among other states) might find that Apple has passed them over come June, unless Cingular goes into turbo mode lighting up new service areas. Anyone out there willing to move for a cellphone?[Thanks, Craig]
Sprint users can get their data served Verizon-style?
Every once in a while, you hear a story that warms your heart -- a story that proves that there's still love in this cold, cold world we all call home. Such is the case here, where it seems sworn rivals Sprint and Verizon have sheathed their weapons long enough to reach an accord allowing the former's customers to use the latter's data network. If true (we haven't tested it ourselves), it would mean that Sprint's EV-DO footprint has just gotten a lot bigger. The roaming apparently works with Sprint's latest preferred roaming list, so give it a shot (just a warning, it'll require a call to that fabulous customer service line) and hit us up with the results!
