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Abolition of Roaming Charges in EU Does Not Lead to Lower CostsROOSENDAAL, The Netherlands, June 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A&B Groep: European telecom providers seek compensation by increasing other costs The abolition of roaming charges within the EU does not automatically lead to lower calling charges or reduced expenses for companies. Calling abroad has not become cheaper, and is sometimes even more expensive. The costs for out-of-bundle calls have increased, new subscriptions are more expensive and companies are charged higher fees due to complex contracts. Moreover, roaming charges are still applied in other European countries. Calling from Switzerland, for example, has even become more expensive than before. This is the conclusion of the telecom consultancy experts of A&B Groep. As of today, people abroad can use their standard bundle to call and use the internet from abroad. Under the title 'Roam Like at Home', the EU has put an end to the high fees charged by mobile providers for voice, SMS and internet use abroad, also known as roaming. The abolition of roaming charges is a step in the right direction, but the telecom expense management consultants of A&B Groep believe that this is not enough. They believe that companies will not be able to save as much in costs as previously thought. It was implied in recent months that roaming would be free of charge, but practice proves this to be a false implication. A&B Groep gives five examples which clearly illustrate that the new regulations do not by definition lead to lower costs: Calling other countries is not cheaper As Ron Rijkenberg, CEO of A&B Groep, asks: "Why did the European Commission avoid dealing with this 'real abolition' of telecom country boundaries?" He clarifies his question with a practical example: "There is a person in the Nethrlands. His colleague in Belgium uses his or her mobile telephone to call that person's mobile telephone. The call is charged a higher fee than when the Belgian colleague first crosses the border with the Netherlands and then calls from the Netherlands. That roaming call has a lower charge than the international call." Roaming still applies to countries outside the EU Out-of-bundle charges drastically increased Existing contracts remain valid Obscure calculation methods Companies are faced with the complexity of the European and global telecom markets, which makes it very difficult for them to conclude beneficial contracts with telecom providers. For example, an internationally active company is forced to enter into contracts with several providers, even if those providers operate under the same name. Ron Rijkenberg on this issue: "There are numerous telecom providers. Global providers also operate in separate countries, all of which have their own laws and regulations. Reaching a global deal is therefore nearly impossible. Finding the best possible telecom contract for the entire company is an extremely difficult and complex undertaking. Here at A&B Groep, we intend to use a very fine toothcomb to assess each of our customers' invoices in the months to come." About A&B Groep |