Imagine my chagrin when upon reaching the office after a tiring but fulfilling tour of Europe, I was slapped with blast of bills that would have shocked even the most talkative person I know – my sister. And what baffles me about these humongous demands for payment is that I barely used my phone.
As far as I recall, the longest call I made was to my Dad in Canada which took 1 minute max. And my bill looked as if I had a webinar that took a whole day to finish. Right then and there, I was determined to never use my smartphone and/or surf the internet with my laptop if I am underneath the European sky.
However, news today served like a winning point for me because Neelie Kroes, the Vice President for the Digital Agenda confirmed what was floating in the IT air before that bill shocks will occur no more especially to individuals or group of individuals, either tourists or businessmen, who happen to be just passing by Europe or like many others, roaming around to get the feel of what Europe really is. People will no longer fear on racking up irritatingly enormous bills when accessing the internet on the skies of dear old Europa. These are the safeguards that were put in place:
• There will be a ceiling limit of data-roaming all around Europe and price is pegged at fifty euros (does not include VAT but still is tolerable even with the tax and highly workable). This is only super ceded if the mobile phone owner made a previous arrangement with his connectivity provider with a lesser or higher ceiling rate.
• There will be an automated warning that will be sent if the user has reached 80% of his load limit. A great innovation that says hey, ease up on the load. The connection is instantaneously cut when the load reaches its maximum level. Yes, it disgustingly kills you not to be able to communicate with friends and relatives. But that situation is way better than having a heart attack upon unfolding the billing statement in your own yard. There is always the payphone.
• There is a dramatic change in the roaming rates in Europe. Consider these price adjustments: the charge for a roaming call per minute before was forty three cents but now it is at thirty nine cents. Before, even when you just received a call, not made it, you will be charged nineteen cents unlike now when the charge was dragged down to a low fifteen cents.
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