EU mobile data ‘quadruples’ since roaming charges banned in June

14 November 2017 | Alan Burkitt-Gray

Mobile data within the EU has gone up fourfold since the 28-nation group introduced “roam like home” rules in June.

A survey by roaming specialist Syniverse reveals also that the volume of mobile voice calls almost doubled since the changes and the number of text messages went up by a more modest 34%.

But it’s growth in the volume of mobile data that is most significant since the EU introduced the new regulations on 15 June 2017 – after years of gradually reducing the maximum rates for voice and data roaming.

Syniverse – which works with 1,000 mobile network operators worldwide – analysed the volume of roaming traffic within the 28 nations of the EU in July, August and September 2017 and compared it with the same three months of 2016.

The key result was that mobile data grew by 308% year on year – implying that roaming data was more than four times what it was in July, August and September 2016.

This will impact on mobile telcos’ results as they start coming in, says Syniverse, because they will no longer include revenue from EU subscriber roaming fees, which under the regulations have been abolished.

“Industry watchers expect that operators will report noticeably lower revenue in this quarter’s earnings, as they are now unable to charge roaming fees to EU subscribers when they roam within the EU,” added Syniverse. 

Capacity has already reported that Deutsche Telekom ICSS has upgraded its facilities at AMS-IX because of the rise in mobile roaming in the EU.