Telecom operators Challenges within Europe
Author
El-Jechy, Ali Ehssan
Term
4. term
Publication year
2017
Submitted on
2017-01-04
Pages
81
Abstract
Efterhånden som teknologi udvikler sig og globaliseringen fortsætter, vokser behovet for rimelige priser, når man bruger sin mobil i udlandet (roaming). Siden 2007 har EU trinvist indført prislofter: først for opkald, senere også for SMS og data. I begyndelsen gjaldt de for slutbrugere, og senere også for inter-operator-takster (de priser, teleselskaber opkræver hinanden). Den sidste fase, Roam Like at Home (RLAH), trådte i kraft fra juni 2017 og betyder, at kunder betaler samme pris for brug i andre EU-lande som derhjemme. Hvad dette betyder for hvert enkelt teleselskabs forretning er svært at forudsige. Nationale markeder er meget forskellige, og selskaber oplever store forskelle i roamingforbrug på grund af rejsemønstre, geografi, økonomi og brugshistorik. Samtidig bliver konkurrencen i telebranchen mindre national, fordi afskaffelsen af roamingafgifter udsætter operatører for konkurrence på tværs af Europa. Dette speciale giver en dataunderstøttet gennemgang af roamingreguleringen fra 2007 til i dag og drøfter mulige konsekvenser af RLAH—fra lavere engrospriser (wholesale) mellem operatører til potentielt højere detailpriser for slutbrugere. I lyset af EU’s mål om et fælles marked præsenteres også tekniske alternativer til traditionel roaming—carrier portability (flytning mellem operatører), Roam Like A Local (ordninger med lokale takster for besøgende) og Wi‑Fi offloading (at lede trafik over Wi‑Fi i stedet for mobilnet)—samt hvordan disse kan påvirke grænseoverskridende konkurrence både positivt og negativt.
As technology advances and people travel more, affordable roaming has become increasingly important. Since 2007, the EU has gradually introduced price caps: first for calls, later for SMS and data. These caps initially applied to consumers and later also to inter-operator tariffs (the prices operators charge each other). The final step, Roam Like at Home (RLAH), took effect in June 2017 and means customers pay the same price when roaming within the EU as they do at home. Predicting what this means for each mobile operator’s business is difficult. National markets differ widely, and operators see very different levels of roaming use due to travel patterns, geography, economics, and usage history. At the same time, competition in telecoms is no longer purely national, because removing roaming charges exposes operators to Europe‑wide competition. This thesis provides a data‑informed overview of roaming regulation from 2007 to the present and discusses potential effects of RLAH—from lower wholesale rates between operators to possible higher retail prices for end users. In line with the EU’s push for a single market, it also presents technical alternatives to traditional roaming—carrier portability (moving service between carriers), Roam Like A Local (arrangements with local‑style rates for visitors), and Wi‑Fi offloading (sending traffic over Wi‑Fi instead of mobile networks)—and explains how these may affect cross‑border competition, both positively and negatively.
[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]
Keywords
Documents