tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post2407215997156332452..comments2024-03-05T10:52:24.691+00:00Comments on Mark Wadsworth: Roaming charge fun.Mark Wadsworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07733511175178098449noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-67530077901611894342017-06-20T18:11:59.641+01:002017-06-20T18:11:59.641+01:00L, that's the problem, how will we know whethe...L, that's the problem, how will we know whether price declines would be any different without ban on roaming charges?Mark Wadsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07733511175178098449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-3447416851080706982017-06-20T05:50:09.793+01:002017-06-20T05:50:09.793+01:00MW. Not necessarily 'go up'. How about not...MW. Not necessarily 'go up'. How about not 'go down'?Lolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04586735342675041312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-7842422583391869502017-06-19T21:56:09.782+01:002017-06-19T21:56:09.782+01:00> M W
Agreed , the Telcom operators can sort i...> M W<br /><br />Agreed , the Telcom operators can sort it out, UK telecom "Pebble network" offers domestic roaming between networks in the UK.Dinerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14632385731642361211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-80904229828003928672017-06-19T21:48:57.888+01:002017-06-19T21:48:57.888+01:00L, I'm very wary of shouting "market abus...L, I'm very wary of shouting "market abuse" etc, but surely the acid test is whether non-roaming charges go up or not?Mark Wadsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07733511175178098449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-23082536732455709442017-06-19T20:42:03.411+01:002017-06-19T20:42:03.411+01:00"FWIW the barriers to entry for mobile comms ..."FWIW the barriers to entry for mobile comms are much lower than fixed line comms."<br /><br />They wouldn't be if BT Openreach was nationalised, which it should be, as it has a land-based monopoly.Bayardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15211150959757982948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-16313898490908465212017-06-19T19:12:17.170+01:002017-06-19T19:12:17.170+01:00MW. No. Market forces will make networks do deals....MW. No. Market forces will make networks do deals. Why wouldn't they.<br />FWIW the barriers to entry for mobile comms are much lower than fixed line comms.Lolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04586735342675041312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-2778101863189280752017-06-19T18:34:49.929+01:002017-06-19T18:34:49.929+01:00Din, it might well be that national providers rip ...Din, it might well be that national providers rip each other off on a mutual basis, but they won't be able to any more. The gains and losses cancel out.<br /><br />L, doesn't that sort of disprove your own point?Mark Wadsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07733511175178098449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-39656766316652610742017-06-19T15:58:15.887+01:002017-06-19T15:58:15.887+01:00D. I was going to make that point in your second ...D. I was going to make that point in your second paragraph.<br /><br />As to 'sim only deals' - yes. Mrs L. is on just such a deal. We bought the 'phone and she gets a very cheap sim and excellent roaming service - better than mine in fact.Lolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04586735342675041312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-39048133373495324692017-06-19T14:17:33.582+01:002017-06-19T14:17:33.582+01:00> Lola
"...it will fail" could be. ...> Lola<br /><br />"...it will fail" could be. You could see an industry split with low budget mobile phone sims only working domestically.<br /><br />Roaming charges are not just a sur charge from the phone company for an extra service, they start from inter operator wholesale charges between telecom operators who are not partners. When call from abroad you are not connected to your mobile provider's network. You are connected to a different network and they charge your provider.Dinerohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14632385731642361211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-44358213059459374192017-06-19T13:57:48.027+01:002017-06-19T13:57:48.027+01:00I'm not sure whether they are a cartel or not....I'm not sure whether they are a cartel or not.<br /><br />But gradually falling prices means that their threat was empty, which is the main point.Mark Wadsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07733511175178098449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-34814075295772006212017-06-19T10:03:33.659+01:002017-06-19T10:03:33.659+01:00I just renewed my deal and it's gone down from...I just renewed my deal and it's gone down from £9.80/month to £9. On top of this, my data went from 2.25GB to 3GB and 250 mins has gone to 1050. So in other words clearly no impact on the magic tap of roaming charges getting turned off.mombershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09650866436764567516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-53970288347338038302017-06-19T06:54:35.575+01:002017-06-19T06:54:35.575+01:00B. Correct. But sooner or later one company would...B. Correct. But sooner or later one company would've broken ranks and made cheap roaning part of its deal.Lolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04586735342675041312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-64478767867719708852017-06-18T20:57:37.856+01:002017-06-18T20:57:37.856+01:00L, I don't think mobile phone companies are a ...L, I don't think mobile phone companies are a cartel, except for when it comes to roaming charges. If they are not a cartel, the are acting like a cartel. No-one is breaking ranks because the market for roaming is not big enough to make it worthwhile.Bayardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15211150959757982948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-38751405132561823212017-06-18T18:13:17.874+01:002017-06-18T18:13:17.874+01:00P156. B said mobphoncos are a cartel. I do not ag...P156. B said mobphoncos are a cartel. I do not agree with that - on the evidence that exists. A cartel is consequent upon collusion to overcharge or otherwise defraud the public. Banks yes. Mobile Phone Co's. No. See this table<br /> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Kingdom_mobile_virtual_network_operators<br /><br />However in some countries mobile is a monopoly - real or with one dominant provider. Mexico springs to mind. But even there there are many more than one carrier. See here <br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Mobile_phone_companies_of_Mexico<br /><br />I am entirely unconvinced by the monopoly and / or cartel arguments.Lolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04586735342675041312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-8225984253791482482017-06-18T12:20:04.197+01:002017-06-18T12:20:04.197+01:00B. Agreed re markets and monopolies. History is re...B. Agreed re markets and monopolies. History is replete with examples. If rewards were big enough we should expect an oligopoly to transpose into a monopoly in similar manner to a Standard Oil.paulc156https://www.blogger.com/profile/12412449043451685404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-12241586315800997612017-06-18T08:03:24.193+01:002017-06-18T08:03:24.193+01:00B. Sooner or later one would break ranks...B. Sooner or later one would break ranks...Lolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04586735342675041312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-45338457286288770502017-06-17T22:51:13.235+01:002017-06-17T22:51:13.235+01:00L, to a large extent the mobile phone companies we...L, to a large extent the mobile phone companies were a cartel. They could all charge high prices for roaming because they all charged high prices for roaming. I suppose the amount of money involved wasn't large enough for any of them to break ranks. "The market" isn't very good at controlling cartels and monopolies.Bayardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15211150959757982948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1141932539860553199.post-68985711578300862712017-06-17T22:12:12.966+01:002017-06-17T22:12:12.966+01:00It is a price control. In some way it will fail.It is a price control. In some way it will fail.Lolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04586735342675041312noreply@blogger.com