National roaming is a measure that can be agreed commercially between operators to extend coverage or can be imposed or facilitated by governments as a means to increase competition amongst networks. It has been used with varying degrees of success in a range of countries, notably in the...

In March 2011 three national network operations were exchanged between América Móvil and Digicel, withdrawing from competing in each other’s markets: El Salvador, Honduras and Jamaica. The effect was significantly to reduce the levels of competition at the time and in the future, by...

National roaming is a measure that can be agreed commercially between operators to extend coverage or can be imposed or facilitated by governments as a means to increase competition amongst networks. It has been used with varying degrees of success in a range of countries, notably in the...

Governments in a number of countries are concerned about the high surcharges for international mobile roaming and instances of “bill shock”. Russia has used competition law to force down excessive prices. Singapore has introduced consumer protection against bill shock. The USA has consulted...

This paper reviews the overall aims of policy of European Union spectrum policy and management, within the framework of the completion of European single market. The development of markets for GSM services is analysed, including the absorption of PCS on the 1800 MHz band into GSM. The history of...

Benin is a country of some 8.7 million people, having grown rapidly from only four million in 1985. It had a GDP per capita of only USD 1,119 in 2006, less than half the African average of USD 2,844. Mobile telephony was the only infrastructure in which the country scored well. The number of...

The third EU Roaming Regulation (531/2012) took effect on July 1, 2012, replacing Regulation 544/2009. Wholesale and retail price caps for voice, SMS and data have been extended and reduced, with new retail caps for data usage. Anti-bill shock remedies now apply outside the EU. Measures to...

International Mobile Roaming (IMR) between the twenty-two countries of the League of Arab States presents the well-established problems of persistently high charges, with retail and wholesale markets in different countries. There are specific national and international issues of structures for...

This paper examines how issues concerning international mobile roaming have been addressed in Asia and the Pacific Islands by governments, regulators and operators. The complaints of consumers and business users have been that rates are too high, a problem accentuated by a small number of...

The European Union adopted a Roaming Regulation (717/2007) in 2007, then extended its duration and widened its scope (544/2009) in 2009. In 2006, the European Commission held two consultations on a possible regulation. It made a formal legislative proposal in July 2006, to implement wholesale...