Abstract
Report Synopsis
Roaming prices have confronted criticism in recent years and are undergoing
significant changes at this present time. The European Commission is just
about to impose regulation to the pricing of voice roaming charges and it will
see the introduction of capped pricing.
Roaming especially in the consumer market is perceived complex and expensive,
despite operators having moved to attractive on-net pricing and
easier-to-understand pricing structures, roaming prices remain difficult to
track and will be a challenge to keep up with the changes.
The March 2007 edition, based on a survey of 47 mobile service providers
across 35 countries, findings' relate to the increased offerings in roaming,
both voice and data calls and more recently the many price changes mainly
downward. Operators will be seeking to introduce innovative offers to help for
the compensation of the potential loss in revenue from the imposed regulation.
Although a few service providers have initiated tariff reform in the sector,
the reports finds that a high level of complexity in tariff structures and
pricing levels persists. Marked differences in pricing too pertain between
operators.
The report seeks to separate the tangled structure of roaming tariffs, how the
service is competitively positioned, and importantly, contains tariff tables
for voice and data roaming for 47 mobile operators and will keep tracking them
on a quarterly basis.
Information included within the report:
1) Voice roaming rates
- Calling back home
- Calling within a country
- Calling to another country
- Receiving a call
2) Data roaming rates
3) Bundles / Special discounts
The information, presented in local currency and Euros, is held in excel
spreadsheet and allows for easy comparison across operators/countries. The
data is supported by 40-page report analysing the data and commenting on the
latest trends and changes made in roaming prices over time.
Key highlights include:
- 47 Service Providers across 35 countries, and continuously adding
- Voice and data tariffs presented in Excel in local currency and Euros. A
tariff table for each service provider in each country market
- Trends & analysis Report with tables and charts
- Plus supplementary notes
- PLUS quarterly updates.
Who should buy this report
- Mobile, Wireless Internet and Satellite Providers and Operators
- Software and Equipment Vendors
- Supplier organisations
- Regulatory Bodies
- Consultancies
- Investors, Venture Capital Companies, Financial Service Companies
Table of Contents
METHDOLOGY
MANAGEMENT SUMMARY
1. INTRODUCTION
- 1.1 Roaming
- 1.2 EU position on roaming
- 1.3 Operators' moves
2. KEY REPORT PARAMETERS
3. ROAMING TARIFFS: ANALYSIS
- 3.1 Country roaming in
- 3.2 Type of subscriber: post- or prepaid
- 3.3 Type of postpaid plan
- 3.4 Billing increment
- 3.5 Time of the day
4. TRENDS IN PRICING OF ROAMING VOICE AND DATA CALLS
- 4.1 Attractive pricing for on-net calls
- 4.2 Decline in roaming prices
- 4.3 Bundled approach
- 4.4 Incentives/Promotions
- 4.5 Competitive offerings
5. VOICE ROAMING RATE ANALYSIS
- 5.1 Making a call back to the home country
- 5.2 Making a call back within the country of roaming
- 5.3 Receiving a call
- 5.4 Calling another country
6. DATA ROAMING RATE ANALYSIS
- 6.1 SMS
- 6.2 MMS
- 6.3 GPRS/UMTS
7. LATEST TARIFF MOVES BY OPERATORS
8. CASE STUDIES
- 8.1 O2 UK
- 8.2 Swisscom
- 8.3 T-Mobile UK
- 8.4 Vodafone
- 8.5 Mobistar (Belgium)
List of Tables and Charts
Figures
- Figure 1 Proposed Price Caps by European Commission
- Figure 2 Operator Coverage March 2007
- Figure 3 Example. A Pannon / Hungary postpaid subscriber calling back home
- Figure 4 Price example where rates depend on which network caller selects
- Figure 5 Price example where rates depend on type of subscriber
- Figure 6 Price example where rates depend on which postpaid plan
subscribed to
- Figure 7 T-Mobile' s ' WorldClass' roaming service
- Figure 8 T-Mobile' s ' WorldClass' countries
- Figure 9 Swisscom' s Home Pricing model ' Euro Passport'
- Figure 10 Example of roaming bundles available
- Figure 11 AwayPhone' s offerings
- Figure 12 Transatel' s offerings
- Figure 13 Pricing example: Operator making a distinction between calling
back home and calling within the country
- Figure 14 Pricing example: Operator making a distinction between calling
back home and calling within the country
- Figure 15 Example of SMS pricing when roaming
- Figure 16 Examples of MMS pricing when roaming
- Figure 17 Examples of GRPS pricing when roaming
- Figure 18 Belgium' s Mobistar' s Traveller Advantage options
- Figure 19 5th July 2006, Austrian mobile operator One' s tariff change
- Figure 20 Greek mobile operator Cosmote' s preferential rates
- Figure 21 Special promotion from O2 Germany
- Figure 22 Belgium mobile operator' s Mobistar' s roaming rates
- Figure 23 Swisscom' s Euro Passport scheme
- Figure 24 UK' s Orange' s new rates from 21st August 2006.
- Figure 25 Comparison of Orange UK old and new roaming rates for businesses
- Figure 26 T-Mobile' Austria' s options
- Figure 27 Telefonica O2 in the Czech Republic' s ' My Europe' options
- Figure 28 Vodafone/ Passport in the UK
- Figure 29 WorldSim' s roaming prices
- Figure 30 T-Mobile UK' s roaming prices
- Figure 31 CheMobile' s roaming rates
- Figure 32 Vodafone Romania' s ' Europe' tariff
- Figure 33 Swisscom' s options launched in November 2006
- Figure 34 Operator 3 in the UK' s pricing for 3 Like Home
- Figure 35 Telenor' s new roaming rates from 1st April 2007
- Figure 36 Airtel Bharti' s new roaming rates
- Figure 37 O2' s ' My Europe' option
- Figure 38 Vodafone partner network
- Figure 39 Vodafone ' Passport' comparison 1 minute versus 5 minute
- Figure 40 Vodafone ' Passport' comparison 1 minute versus 5 minute
expressed in percentages
Charts
- Chart 1 Breakdown of number of zones used for 47 surveyed operators
- Chart 2 The ratio of the cheapest and most expensive rate for calls back
home
- Chart 3 Swisscom ' Euro Option' vs standard Swiss roaming charges
- Chart 4 Snap shot of T-Mobile flat rate roaming charges.
- Chart 5 Mobistar Traveller Advantage.
