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Macedonian mobile operators will have to drastically decrease roaming prices if the country wants to become EU member-state in near future. This recommendation emerges from the latest decision of the European Commission that obliged European mobile operators to provide 60% cheaper roaming from next year.

 “EU regulative refers only to mobile operators in EU member-states. Yet, it is clear that these regulations, as well as all the other regulations should be adopted by all EU candidate-countries as part of approximation to the EU judiciary and standards,” said EC representatives from Brussels.

Operators are silent

Mobile operators in Macedonia do not want to comment this EU recommendation. Actually, Mobimak and Cosmofon are relaxed because the decision does not affect Macedonia directly. Experts think that the Government should have key role in this case by pushing mobile operators to decrease roaming prices.

“There will not be any good will from the operators. Therefore the Government must force the mobile operators. But, considering the fact that the talks over Telecom’s dividend are in progress, it is unlikely to believe that the Government will raise the roaming issue. The Government has many means to force the operators. For example, the Government may want the operators that if they do not decrease the prices, it will announce tender for third mobile operator,” experts said.

Mobile operators receive significant incomes from roaming. Experts think that the roaming incomes range from 5% to 10% of the total yearly incomes. For example, in 2004 Mobinak’s incomes were 134,9 million euros and 6 to 13 million euros were from roaming.

The aim is decreasing of the incomes

Because of this, European mobile operators oppose the latest EC regulation that was presented by the Commissar for information society and media. Estimations are that EU mobile operators will loose 15% to 20% of the incomes, and the citizens will pay 60% less.

Last week Redding was supported by the presidents and prime ministers of all 25 EU member-states. The regulative was supported by Bulgaria and Romania, while Croatia and Turkey that are in the talks for membership must implement in their legislation.

Primary goal of the regulation is that the user to use roaming with the cost of a national call, regardless his whereabouts. Incoming calls will be free.

GSM association with 680 mobile operators from all over the world assess the regulative as unexpected, unacceptable and unnecessary. But Redding claims that with the current roaming prices the subscribers are punished when crossing the border with their mobile phones.

Source: Dnevnik