Reding hijacks GSMA press conference

by: admin Monday, February 11th, 2008

Viviane Reding, the EU´s telecoms commissioner, accidentally highjacked the GSMA´s own press conference here at MWC by giving an impromtu speech on the stairs outside.

A journalist had asked to comment on her attitude towards operators´pricing for SMS and data roaming. The conference´s MC ruled the question as irrelevant and so we all had to tear after Ms Reding when it was all over.
It´s going to be good news for EU inhabitants because Reding has given the operators until July 1st to get their house in order.
Otherwise she is threatening more regulations along the lines of the now-infamouse eurotariff for making and receiving calls whilst roaming.
In terms of pricing levels, Ms Reding can see no reason why the tariffs should only be marginally more expensive than the level subscribers pay at home.
She appears to be a little more flexible on data tariffs than for SMS which she described as a ´mature´technology.
The remark which I found most interesting was a call for an end to ´shock bills´for roamers when they get home. She wants operators to warn mobile surfers of the cost of surfing BEFORE they run up such a huge bill.
All in all, if Reding gets her way this is bad news for operators but great news for content providers

Rating: Thinly disguised threats over data roaming