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EU Free Data Roaming, Net Neutrality Plans In Jeopardy
An anonymous reader writes EU free data roaming and net neutrality plans now look like they are in doubt as European regulators have dropped plans to ban roaming charges and have proposed net neutrality rules allowing privileged access in some cases. This comes as a U-turn of plans [compared to] 2014, when EU MEPs voted to scrap mobile roaming fees in Europe by 15th December 2015, with the proposal orginally covered on Slashdot in 2010."
There's indeed all kind of commercial issues. No-one will disagree on that.
Yet, daily practices are very strange pricing schemes with all EU telco's. Where calling mobile may be cheaper than land line. But roaming is indeed a very practical issue for anyone crossing a border, and getting charged over 2 euro for 1 megabyte of data is more the rule than the exception.
Smarter users avoid getting unexpected bills using pre-pay plans. But on average, _everyone_ is being ripped of left or right. There are no fair plans. It's hard to find a,say, 100 euro true unlimited plan. It's hard to find roaming at normal prices. It _does_ exist though, it you search. But as said, most providers will just rip you off whenever they find a chance.
More legally - this shows how the EU has sometimes embarrassing little power. The EU parliament votes. The joining countries overrule. They just use 'EU' as excuse when convenient, and ignore as soon they please too, which often leads to schizophrenic state politics. This is just a symptom.
Concluding: the EU parliament chooses the most ethical-correct choice. The members of the EU choose to ignore it for, mostly, commercial reasons.
How much?
and
What MEPs?
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Indeed, I was looking forward to the free roaming. I live near a border and have to disable roaming because I'm often in the neighboring country. It's a joke to be forced to live without a cell phone in the second decade of the 21th century. But I'm not a rich person who can afford the extra 600-700 euros a month just to please the mobile provider.
Europe is only free for the free move of capital, no problem there. It's easy to avoid taxes for the wealthy, and the normal middle class can't profit, it's a double win.
There is also a free move of cheap labors. Big companies are happy with cheap self employed eastern European labors who are not protected by the same social laws as the local middle class. So a law that favors the wealthy, and hurts the middle class? Again a double win!