EU Cracking Down On Text Message Charges

[HardOCP News]

If you think plopping down fifteen cents for a text message here in the U.S. is bad, the folks in Europe are paying almost half a buck for each text message. The European Commission wants to cap the amount phone companies can charge and bring the price down to a more reasonable level.

The EU's top telecom official, Viviane Reding, said she was putting the new rules forward because telecommunications companies had not responded to her call for them to lower the roaming charges for sending or receiving mobile phone text messages outside a user's home nation.

 

[Shotglass01]

Sucks that it takes a commission to get these results. I have always thought cell companies have bilked the hell out of customers. I don't own one, and I won't own one until these ridiculous price plans come down. I still think it's ludicrous to pay $40.00 per month just so you can walk around with your phone. Adding text charges, data charges, media charges, keyboard charges, accessory charges, late fees, early termination fees, locked in plans, locked in phones, hell, oil companies wish they had it so good.

 

[SockMan!]

I never use text messages partly out of principle; why should I pay so much for just to send a few kilobytes of text?

 

[Ockie]

I never use text messages partly out of principle; why should I pay so much for just to send a few kilobytes of text?

Why should I pay so much for a lamborghini just so it can drive me around?

It's convenience, it's luxury, it's personal choice and the company has the right to price the services as they see fit as it's their own products and offerings.

The euros gets cheap internet, it all balances out in the end

 

[cefoskey]

why should this be legislated?

Texting isnt a commodity that people absolutely must have. If they think its overpriced, dont pay for it! Phone companies should be able to charge whatever people are willing to pay.

Sheesh.

 

[Monkey God]

Socialized luxuries. Nice.

 

[KingPariah777]

I agree that government should stay out of this stuff, and quite frankly in Europe these companies probably are forced to charge that much just to make a buck after all of the taxes and regulations strangle most of the life out of their business...

As always, more government to solve the problems of more government...GG guys!

That being said, given people's current state of mind, these phone companies are just BEGGING to be regulated, as much as I disagree with it.

Nonsense charges, poor service, literally RAPING you if you go over your minutes, unfairly locking people into 2+ year plans, charging outrageous amounts of money for any phones that aren't purchased with a contract, locking phones to carriers and playing games with contract fine-print are pissing people off to the point where these companies have NO right to complain when some bleeding-heart politician pushes through legislation to punish these guys.

I'm not saying it's the right thing to do, I'm just saying they should be surprised when it happens.

 

[Azhar]

*ahem*

Why should texting be a luxury? Texting should be merged with voice. Why, you ask?

I'll give you one hint: I wear hearing aids.

 

[Ockie]

*ahem*

Why should texting be a luxury? Texting should be merged with voice. Why, you ask?

I'll give you one hint: I wear hearing aids.

Having a cellphone in it's own right is actually a luxury too.

 

[Azhar]

Having a cellphone in it's own right is actually a luxury too.

That may be, but if you do buy one, you should have the ability to communicate with it however you're able.

Data on the other hand is luxury.

 

[Azhar]

Don't make me go all bleeding heart over handicapped rights dammit

I'm not looking for hand outs. I'm a manager for our company's IT department and make good money. I don't rely on disability and I don't want anyone's pity. All I'm saying is there are some things that should always be available. Texting and closed captioning, wheelchair access, braille.. you know, common sense things that we shouldn't even have to beg for.

 

[SockMan!]

Nonsense charges, poor service, literally RAPING you if you go over your minutes, unfairly locking people into 2+ year plans, charging outrageous amounts of money for any phones that aren't purchased with a contract, locking phones to carriers and playing games with contract fine-print are pissing people off to the point where these companies have NO right to complain when some bleeding-heart politician pushes through legislation to punish these guys.

I'm not sure if no government intervention is the best way to go either; I just think everyone's going about it the wrong way. Outrageously high prices for text messaging seems more like a tiny piece of what looks like monopolistic behavior.

Of course, there's no monopoly when there are many competitors on the market. The problem is that every player on the market essentially colludes and offers the same products, services, and prices to the point where there might as well be a monopoly. Had there been real competition then we wouldn't have such high prices for text messages.

 

[Menelmarar]

Socialist economies

Luxury item.

There is no reaosn to have government regulation! I think the texting system is fucked up over here as well. Texts use far less bandwidth, should use fewer resources, and why should I pay for texts received that I don't even want!? Uggh. I have it disabled. All I want out of my phone, is to be a phone.

 

[trick_m0nkey]

Ah, crackdowns. EU is so very good at crackdowns.

 

[thejulex]

"because telecommunications companies had not responded to her call for them to lower the roaming charges for sending or receiving mobile phone text messages outside a user's home nation"

Ahem, so basically this would correspond to US government cracking on US Telco company charging more some say Mexican or Canadian dude who leaves his own company's network, than native network subscriber...

They have to charge more since they have to share profit with the other company, exchange billing feeds, etc, etc.

 

[RoffleCopter]

Capped price -> less profit for telcos -> less tax revenue going to EU -> raise taxes to compensate

That's the way I see it going down,unless I missed something along the way.

 

[eeyrjmr]

why should this be legislated?

Texting isnt a commodity that people absolutely must have. If they think its overpriced, dont pay for it! Phone companies should be able to charge whatever people are willing to pay.

Sheesh.

did you even RTFA?
It need legislation because the fucking phone companies cannot/willnot sort it out themselves

The issue here isn't the price of a txt (I pay 12p a txt which isn't bad) THE problem is when you send/recieve txt from another EU country - They hike it up AND the reciever gets charged as well

The point of the EEC is trade barriers fall and prices harmonised across the bloc, Phone companies are going again EEC founding notions and keep refusing to tow the line THUS the big gov'n/commision has to come in and sort their arses out

nx time RTFA

 

[uviuar2]

The point of this gov't intervention is to stop greedy corporations from stifling the growth and development of a particularly useful resource amongst it's citizens. Cell phone usage is quickly becoming an essential utility these days, and you are a fool to consider it nothing more than a luxury.

Hell by everyones logic microsoft should have been allowed to crush the market and be the only OS in existence for anything electronic. World would have been much better off without that pesky government interfering wouldn't it.

If you want government out of your lives than you can pay for your own military, your own roads, your own stop signs, your own fire and police department, etc etc. There are plenty of things socialized across this globe that you need. Dont see you complaining about those.

 

[aShrubbery!]

I agree that government should stay out of this stuff, ...

Just like the government did in the banking sector and let the smart guys in the banking sector "regulate" themselves? Only to come to the current mortgate crisis.
Maybe, some people don't listen to the news!

Granted there is no crisis to speak of when it comes to telcos, but to say that there is no need for government to intervene is ridiculous.

Companies have no plans nor intentions to regulate themselves, that is why things have come so far.
Leave it to companies and they will make you pay through the nose.

The governement should be there to define legislation and define the boundaries and limits that companies can do business within. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[AtkinS]

i make 30 bucks n hour.... postman. even more on saturdays 4 bucks more n hour.

i also pay 200 bucks more for a vga prolly. 740 usd for the 4870x2. but we get more tho for our salary. and 30 bucks n hour is not GREAT over here, its good, but not great and is very common.

in exchange i pay 12.4 for a pack of 20 cigs (Malboro red).

 

[KingPariah777]

Just like the government did in the banking sector and let the smart guys in the banking sector "regulate" themselves? Only to come to the current mortgate crisis.
Maybe, some people don't listen to the news!

Granted there is no crisis to speak of when it comes to telcos, but to say that there is no need for government to intervene is ridiculous.

Companies have no plans nor intentions to regulate themselves, that is why things have come so far.
Leave it to companies and they will make you pay through the nose.

The governement should be there to define legislation and define the boundaries and limits that companies can do business within. Nothing more, nothing less.

You. Are. An. Idiot.

We have a crisis because of the artificially dampened interest rates and the government propped pseudo monopolies of "Fannie and Freddie Mae" belching out loans to poor crackheads that don't have a snowballs chance in hell of paying them back...

And you think saving the idiots that tried to capitalize on it is going to help anyone?

All you are doing is reinforcing the same irresponsible behavior, because no one will fear failure.

Your "government" fucked up. And I say "Yours" because regardless of what country you live in, government will always be the same, no matter which one people like you worship at the moment.

And to bring it full circle, if you think a nationalized, heavily regulated cell phone industry is the answer, imagine waiting in a digital line for your "ration" of minutes each month, because it's illegal for them to be sold at a reasonable market price...

Now STFU and try being productive instead of whining.

 

[KingPariah777]

The point of this gov't intervention is to stop greedy corporations from stifling the growth and development of a particularly useful resource amongst it's citizens. Cell phone usage is quickly becoming an essential utility these days, and you are a fool to consider it nothing more than a luxury.

Hell by everyones logic microsoft should have been allowed to crush the market and be the only OS in existence for anything electronic. World would have been much better off without that pesky government interfering wouldn't it.

If you want government out of your lives than you can pay for your own military, your own roads, your own stop signs, your own fire and police department, etc etc. There are plenty of things socialized across this globe that you need. Dont see you complaining about those.

These companies risked the investment in the infrastructure and technology back when they weren't sure it would pay off.

Now you want to take away their return when the risk pays off by calling it a commodity for the people. Nice.

Way to encourage innovation, risk and investment

I wonder what kinds of nice features could have been rolled out by now if Microsoft hadn't been dumping BILLIONS of dollars into the worthless EU for their "fines".

Show me the wonderful alternative OS that my grandma can use, that was created by your destructive, anti-innovation, anti-capitalist doctrines, and then maybe you'll convince me that the nationalized rape of successful companies out there has done anything.

And if you think privatized highways wouldn't be cheaper and better maintained, you are smoking crack. Get your head out of your ass before you get sent to the Gulag, komrade.

 

[Ockie]

Just like the government did in the banking sector and let the smart guys in the banking sector "regulate" themselves? Only to come to the current mortgate crisis.
Maybe, some people don't listen to the news!

Granted there is no crisis to speak of when it comes to telcos, but to say that there is no need for government to intervene is ridiculous.

Companies have no plans nor intentions to regulate themselves, that is why things have come so far.
Leave it to companies and they will make you pay through the nose.

The governement should be there to define legislation and define the boundaries and limits that companies can do business within. Nothing more, nothing less.

I find it hard to see your strawman attempt at a connection or some sort of relationship.

Furthermore, I find it hard to relate a global credit/financial crisis which can tank the entire country and other countries to the subject at hand which is text messaging fees.

I find it hard how global financial regulation in anyway can relate in some form or shape to text messages.

 

[w1ngzer0]

You. Are. An. Idiot.

We have a crisis because of the artificially dampened interest rates and the government propped pseudo monopolies of "Fannie and Freddie Mae" belching out loans to poor crackheads that don't have a snowballs chance in hell of paying them back...

And you think saving the idiots that tried to capitalize on it is going to help anyone?

All you are doing is reinforcing the same irresponsible behavior, because no one will fear failure.

Your "government" fucked up. And I say "Yours" because regardless of what country you live in, government will always be the same, no matter which one people like you worship at the moment.

And to bring it full circle, if you think a nationalized, heavily regulated cell phone industry is the answer, imagine waiting in a digital line for your "ration" of minutes each month, because it's illegal for them to be sold at a reasonable market price...

Now STFU and try being productive instead of whining.

thank you for being born.

 

[AVT]

The point of this gov't intervention is to stop greedy corporations from stifling the growth and development of a particularly useful resource amongst it's citizens. Cell phone usage is quickly becoming an essential utility these days, and you are a fool to consider it nothing more than a luxury.

Hell by everyones logic microsoft should have been allowed to crush the market and be the only OS in existence for anything electronic. World would have been much better off without that pesky government interfering wouldn't it.

If you want government out of your lives than you can pay for your own military, your own roads, your own stop signs, your own fire and police department, etc etc. There are plenty of things socialized across this globe that you need. Dont see you complaining about those.

+1 to all of that.

Pure capitalism is anarchy.

 

[AVT]

These companies risked the investment in the infrastructure and technology back when they weren't sure it would pay off.

Now you want to take away their return when the risk pays off by calling it a commodity for the people. Nice.

Way to encourage innovation, risk and investment

I wonder what kinds of nice features could have been rolled out by now if Microsoft hadn't been dumping BILLIONS of dollars into the worthless EU for their "fines".

Show me the wonderful alternative OS that my grandma can use, that was created by your destructive, anti-innovation, anti-capitalist doctrines, and then maybe you'll convince me that the nationalized rape of successful companies out there has done anything.

And if you think privatized highways wouldn't be cheaper and better maintained, you are smoking crack. Get your head out of your ass before you get sent to the Gulag, komrade.

The problem is that zero regulation actually discourages innovation because at a point it becomes easier to lock out your competition rather than innovate your product. And with your competition locked out, there is zero need for you to innovate your product. And if people are defendant on your product, you can slowly but continually raise the prices without any real consequence.

 

[BallerX]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArgWxB-vSL8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfEKkdEMGEI&feature=related

Why the hell would you type a message with your thumbs instead of just using the phone for what it was invented for? Making a phone call.

 

[JimmiG]

That article is about the cost of text messages sent from abroad, though. Ie. from Spain to England.

In Sweden, sending a text message costs the equivalent of 7.5 US cents. If the reciever is using the same operator as the sender, it's free. Same with phone calls, they cost 11 US cents for up to two hours speaking time, or if the phones are using different operators, it's 7.5 cents a minute.

I think text messages are convenient.. Sometimes there's no need to make a phone call.. for example when you just want to tell the gf at home that you'll be 30 mins late from work, or you're meeting someone and you want to tell them that you'll be there in five minutes or whatever. If you're taking the subway (or other form of public transport), it's easier to just key in a message than to make a call and try to make yourself heard over the noise. It's also usually cheaper than making a call. If you're driving, you shouldn't be using the phone either for text messages or voice.

Since almost all my friends use the same operator, I end up paying the equivalent of about US $11 a month for my cellphone, including all calls, text messages etc.

 

[uviuar2]

The problem is that zero regulation actually discourages innovation because at a point it becomes easier to lock out your competition rather than innovate your product. And with your competition locked out, there is zero need for you to innovate your product. And if people are dependent on your product, you can slowly but continually raise the prices without any real consequence.

Exactly. We'll go back to the microsoft example of one of the biggest interventions in technology's history. Had microsoft had their way, we would all still be using windows 98 and internet explorer 4. The only reason you have the enjoyment of a product like xp or vista (which are still years behind in innovation compared to whats already out there), is because they were FORCED to sacrifice some of their power which in turn gave way for others to produce theirs. Guess what, this benefited EVERYONE. I'm sure the execs and microsoft cried themselves to sleep for hours complaining about how "unfair" this was, that they built their product up, they played by the rules (discounting rules you think are just socialist), and they came out the victor. So why cant they have their cake and eat it too? Because the gov't said "to hell with this, it is better for the world to stick our noses in here".

As far as how the gov't helps you in other ways, say paying for your own cities infrastructure, try that next time you need a new freeway built through your state and see it is going to cost 50 billion dollars. Good luck paying for that.

 

[aShrubbery!]

You. Are. An. Idiot.

We have a crisis because of the artificially dampened interest rates and the government propped pseudo monopolies of "Fannie and Freddie Mae" belching out loans to poor crackheads that don't have a snowballs chance in hell of paying them back...

And you think saving the idiots that tried to capitalize on it is going to help anyone?

All you are doing is reinforcing the same irresponsible behavior, because no one will fear failure.

Your "government" fucked up. And I say "Yours" because regardless of what country you live in, government will always be the same, no matter which one people like you worship at the moment.

And to bring it full circle, if you think a nationalized, heavily regulated cell phone industry is the answer, imagine waiting in a digital line for your "ration" of minutes each month, because it's illegal for them to be sold at a reasonable market price...

Now STFU and try being productive instead of whining.

If I am an idiot, I can rest assured that you rank higher .
It's amazing what people can infer from simple statements, that even midddle school kids could understand. Next time you intent to respond to anyone's posts, pm them and ask them for more rudimentary explanations; it might work.

Just to clarify your disturbed mind, I DID NOT suggest government intervention in the scope you accuse me of suggesting; so no $700 billion bailout.
Now read c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y! What I merely suggested was, that governement should lay down the law that "crackheads" should not be allowed to apply for loans they cannot afford, hence "the boundaries and limits banks can have business within."
It is not only Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac who are in this mess, but over 20 institutions. Many banks saw so much potential in these markets, they wanted in on the sub-prime market.
So, here you have it, corporate greed and the wonders of unregulated capitalism.

From what I gathered in your response the bailout currently proposed, is something I supported. Point out exactly where I wrote that. Unless, you're talking out of your arse.
Also, I couldn't care less about the government, let alone "worship" it. Your suggesting that I might "worship" it is solely based on your own deduction, which is clearly false.

If you still think that there is no need for A LAW to forbid this kind of behaviour, then you are simply fooling youself. That is where government intervention would end. Laying down the law and have companies abide by it.

I don't whine. I might gripe at times, but I don't whine!
Also don't talk in that tone to me if the only way to paint me as a fool is to put words in my mouth, that I didn't speak.
I don't mind being corrected, but I still cannot suffer buffoons if all they can counter with are half-baked arguements.

 

[Ockie]

The problem is that zero regulation actually discourages innovation because at a point it becomes easier to lock out your competition rather than innovate your product. And with your competition locked out, there is zero need for you to innovate your product. And if people are defendant on your product, you can slowly but continually raise the prices without any real consequence.

I also find this connection hard to understand especially when we are talking about high texting fees.

High texting fees encourages competition... if you drain the market of a lucrative business, you will have less businesses willing to invest in that arena. You dont' lock out your competition by charging more, you lock them out by charging less.

 

[uviuar2]

And bear in mind, I'm not saying the gov't needs to get their hands into every major innovation just to ensure it is propagated throughout society properly. Many things self-regulate due to competition just fine. The PC sector, microprocessors, automobiles, basic home utilities, etc etc. These are all things which when you take a step back, are a genuine must for a well running society. We actually need most of our population to be able to afford a vehicle, and you know what? Vehicles are fairly priced. But the moment the cheapest car anyone can buy is priced at $100,000 effectively shutting out 90% of who will be driving in your city, you better believe there will be problems. Honestly, do you really think any private industry should be able to charge any amount since it is their creation? What if your local water works decides running water through your house will now be charged at $100/gallon. What do you think is going to happen to your town when nobody has running water through their neighborhood?

When a society depends upon a privatized orgranization because that organization became so essential to the daily running process that keeps the wheels of the society in motion, then oversight is needed. I dont care if you came up a recipe for baking cupcakes, if those cupcakes are discovered to have a hormone that all humans need to survive daily and every single person on the planet eats your cupcakes, then it is imperative that your little self-made bakery become nationalized to a degree. Otherwise we're all fucked. Kinda like this whole housing market bullshit. Guess what, the success of his industry is so intertwined within our entire economy that we must take action to keep it afloat regardless of who or how it started. It is what it is now. Cell-phone could easily approach this day too.

 

[aShrubbery!]

I find it hard to see your strawman attempt at a connection or some sort of relationship.

Furthermore, I find it hard to relate a global credit/financial crisis which can tank the entire country and other countries to the subject at hand which is text messaging fees.

I find it hard how global financial regulation in anyway can relate in some form or shape to text messages.

Regulation.

Lack of regulation=Abuse of power.

And don't go as far as some previous jackass and read "nationalized and government controlled companies, or government bailout" into it.

Business is business, regardless of field and revenue.

There are always instances where businesses CANNOT regulate themselves, regardless of the presence of competition or not.
Case in point: even though the EU has opened the marked for telcos in Europe, they still charge horrendous fees for international SMS. Competition obviously, does not do much to push telcos to lower their charges.

Also, have you noticed how the US is lagging in comparison to other countries when it comes to broadband? Why is it? Lack of competition? Long gone are the days where the US was leader in broadband.

 

[uviuar2]

I also find this connection hard to understand especially when we are talking about high texting fees.

High texting fees encourages competition... if you drain the market of a lucrative business, you will have less businesses willing to invest in that arena. You dont' lock out your competition by charging more, you lock them out by charging less.

NOT when it becomes essential that this service be provided. For the purely voluntary commodities in the world, this works. The car you buy, the television service you choose, the type of computer you build, all highly competitive markets, each vendor trying to outdo the other in prices.

Now lets look at essential services that we cannot live without. The oil industry, healthcare, we throw our hands up in the air and just let these guys rape the consumer and it actually hurts us overall. Less healthy people = less quality workforce. Less people capable of driving as frequently due to high gas prices = less purchasing power. These are venues where it really sucks, even though there are plenty of competitors, they dont really seem to be competing with each other so much as working with each other.

While there are tons of cell phone providers, they each offer almost identical plans. Same shitty 2 year contracts, same shitty ridiculous service fee's, same phones. The only deciding factor these days is who can convince you their network is the best. I really dont even know how att/verizon/tmobile manage to stay in business against each other as there is hardly any incentive to choose one over the other. As a result, they can all raise their rates as much as they feel like without any one of them trying to undercut the competition. Clearly if verizon decided to abandon contracts and charge $15/month for sevice with unlimited texts everyone would flock to them, right? Why bother, there seems to be some sort of unspoken agreement with their competitors not to manipulate the market this much.

 

[markt435]

That may be, but if you do buy one, you should have the ability to communicate with it however you're able.

Data on the other hand is luxury.

i agree. its a communication device. texting shouldn't be expensive at all. using the data service to watch youtube vids or listen to internet radio is a different matter. though i do enjoy having the ability to do ALL those things...$50 is a bit much for unlimited text and data for a Centro. at the most it should be $30 especially when it doesn't come with any minutes.

 

[Ockie]

Also, have you noticed how the US is lagging in comparison to other countries when it comes to broadband? Why is it? Lack of competition? Long gone are the days where the US was leader in broadband.

Wait, how much do you pay again? I used to pay $14 a month for SDSL in Cincinnati. Our larger cable providers are 19-29 per month for broad band.

You are confusing the market with the geographical area and distribution.

This is about text messages, not internet.

And if you think we're so behind, we are not the ones paying out the ass for text messages, you are.

 

[Ockie]

i agree. its a communication device. texting shouldn't be expensive at all. using the data service to watch youtube vids or listen to internet radio is a different matter. though i do enjoy having the ability to do ALL those things...$50 is a bit much for unlimited text and data for a Centro. at the most it should be $30 especially when it doesn't come with any minutes.

Too much for unlimited text AND data? What are you smoking? Who is your carrier?

 

[Azhar]

Too much for unlimited text AND data? What are you smoking? Who is your carrier?

I'd say. I wish my service was $50 a month. I badgered my cell provider to switch voice and text around so I have no voice service and unlimited text, haha.

It'd be funny if people ask to borrow my phone.

 

[gaspah]

I never use text messages partly out of principle; why should I pay so much for just to send a few kilobytes of text?

well in australia.. 25c is a more reasonable assumption for cost of texting (160bytes NOT even 1 kilobyte)... which equates to $1560/MB which is 12x more than NASA pays to recieve and process images from Hubble..

 

[EvilAlchemist]

To Quote Dale Gribble

"I wish the government would just ban itself. Wrap your head around that one"