Let me chip in with some actual numbers on roaming
use:
* Proportion of European users who roam in region
(i.e., in other European countries) in 2000 was 58%
(52% in 1999)
* European users roaming outside of Europe jumped from
1% in 1999 to 15% in 2000
Source of the numbers are the 1999 and 2000 Strategy
Analytics user surveys, respectively.
Unfortunately, the reports don't give a whole lot more
detail (particularly re. roaming destinations).
One guess is that the increase of out-of region
roaming was driven by the improved GSM coverage in the
US and the increase in handsets that handle the US
1900 MHz frequency.
Anyway, this seem to indicate sufficient demand for
voice roaming services at least on a regional level
(esp. if prices come down).
However, looking forward to date, the issues become a
lot more interesting and complex. First of all, data
roaming is much more challenging and difficult to make
work than voice roaming, of course (especially with a
technology). In fact, most operators negotiating their
GPRS roaming agreements now focus solely voice roaming
(and even see that as quite a challenge).
Aside from the technical issues, nobody seems to have
a good understanding of what the service offering for
data roaming is going to look like. Is access to the
'home portal' important? How does 'local' content fit
it (i.e., How is it accessed? What language is it
in?)?
Certainly an interesting debate!
Lars
PS: I also just joined this list, so a big hello to
everybody! BTW, a lot of German speakers on this list
:-)
>> <snip> ... assuming there was no collusion (and
there's no reason to
>> believe there was), whose business is it what the
mobile operators want
>> to charge for roaming? They aren't charities, or
monopolies. The EU
>> going in and seting their prices makes about as
much sense as it
>> telling Cocacola and Pepsi what they can charge.
>
>Absolutely right. I believe the market can sort this
>out by itself. It
>is however a reality that the EU is undertaking
>something that appears
>to have a positive effect on the way operators think
>of roaming.
>
>So far they largely regard it as a premium service
>for a few who are
>willing to pay a premium price for it and they have
>long overlooked the
>opportunity that lies in opening roaming to the
>consumer market, but
>this is changing now.
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Received on Thu Oct 11 16:45:47 2001