The telecommunications market is in for a big change. From June 15th, calls from abroad will no longer be expensive. The European Union has limited roaming prices. However, the very limitation of roaming rates is to the displeasure of mobile operators, who are already preparing ways to recover some of the lost revenue.
Nowadays, calls from abroad can be quite expensive. Mobile operators charge several times higher prices for calls than for domestic calls. But the overpriced call will soon come to an end.
From June 15, a price ceiling for roaming services will apply to all member states of the European Union. When calling abroad, we will not pay more than the normal negotiated price of a domestic call. The ministers of the EU member states agreed on this. Price regulation also applies to the use of mobile data.
Roaming will remain, but calls will not become more expensive
In essence, roaming will not be interrupted. Domestic rates for calls from abroad will apply provided that the mobile phone will only be used temporarily abroad. However, it is not yet clear whether these are called minutes or weeks and months of regular calls.
If, for example, the Czech SIM card is used abroad permanently, mobile operators may still charge an increased fee. This condition protects operators from customers who plan to make permanent calls from abroad use an unlimited tariff.
Operators expect to adjust mobile tariffs
Regulation of roaming rates is not borne gladly by mobile operators. They will lose part of their sales. It's supposed, that the abolition of roaming prices will be reflected in the new tariffs, which will disadvantage roaming customers. How do operators achieve this?
One possible variant is the division of customers into two groups. And that for those who actively use roaming and vice versa for customers who do not need roaming. Both groups can then have a different tariff. Whereas customers who do not actively use roaming will receive a discount.
If you frequently travel abroad and use roaming, see what mobile tariffs the operator offers. It is possible that these favorable tariffs will disappear from the market in the summer.
Conversely, customers who use to make calls prepaid card, they can rest easy for now. There are no plans to increase call prices for prepaid cards in connection with capping roaming prices.
We expect a hot summer in the mobile market
It is not yet certain how the development of mobile tariffs will be reflected in reality. It is also unclear whether the Czech Telecommunications Authority will be able to punish mobile operators for preferential tariffs for a group of customers who do not use roaming.
The Czech Telecommunications Authority, on the other hand, will have the authority to defend mobile operators. And that is if the mobile operators prove that European regulation significantly threatens their pricing strategy. We can therefore expect the summer to be rather hot and stormy in the mobile market.
