Data roaming limited in Europe
Since yesterday, Europe’s cell phones providers have to offer to their client a way to limit their data consumption when they are travelling abroad (AFP, 2010).
Last year, different story appeared throughout Europe with people receiving enormous phone bills because of using data in foreign countries. One of the most important story was a French Orange’s client who received a 159 000€ bill for using his data plan abroad. In fact this client never left France he was just living on the border with Belgium (in Valenciennes) and without knowing it he was using his phone on a Belgian network (Decommer, 2009). Those stories have existed for a few years but have been more and more common with the quick development of smartphone and mobile internet.
After those different stories, the European Commission decided to work on a solution to stop those problems. In June 2009, the European Commission passed a law that force the cell phones providers to limit the data roaming to 50€ a month by default or another value chose by the client. This law has to be applied since yesterday, March 1st 2010.
Cell phones providers are now starting to set the limitation on their clients throughout Europe. This law should protect the consumer from future excess from their providers that were clearly trying to deny this problem of data roaming.
AFP. (2010, March 1). Roaming: les factures plafonnées . Retrieved March 2, 2010, from Le Figaro: http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/2010/03/01/01011-20100301FILWWW00546-roaming-les-factures-plafonnees.php
Decommer, H. (2009, December 23). Il porte plainte après une facture Orange de 159 000 euros: "J'espère que mon cas fera jurisprudence". Retrieved March 2, 2010, from Le Post: http://www.lepost.fr/article/2009/12/23/1854927_il-porte-plainte-apres-une-facture-orange-de-159-000-euros-j-espere-que-mon-cas-fera-jurisprudence.html