Click below to
find interesting
information from our
June 2011
newsletter
relating to:
Roaming
Travel
Mobile phones
Roaming
Roaming
prices
up yet
again
There have
been quite a few
changes in
roaming prices
over the last
several months.
Unlike previous
years, when
networks pushed
through
across-the-board
increases, the
changes this
year have been
more subtle
(and, of course,
unannounced). A
few examples:
-
3
customers
(now part of
Vodafone)
had
increased
prices on
outgoing
roaming
calls in
several
countries
- Telstra
rejigged its
voice call
rates (to be
fair, some
dropped, but
the net
effect was a
rise in
prices).
- Telstra
also
increased
its SMS
prices in
all
countries
- Optus
increased
prices in
its
higher-priced
zones, and
also shifted
countries to
higher
rate-zones
(Singapore,
Hong Kong
among quite
a few
others).
Given the
Australian
dollar rose in
value
substantially
over the period,
these
price-rises are
outrageous!
More than
ever you'll need
our vSIM
post-paid
alternative.
Travel
Passengers
get
rights
The
US has
announced
dramatic
moves to
protect
airline
passenger
rights
from
later
this
year.
Passengers
could
soon be
calling
for the
same in
Australia.
The US
version will
make airlines
pay double the
ticket price up
to $800 (instead
of the current
$400) for
bumping
passengers from
oversold
flights,
provided the
airline can get
them to their
destination
within two hours
of the schedule
for domestic
flights and four
hours for
international,
or four times
the ticket
price, up to a
maximum of
$1,300 for
longer delays.
Airlines
will now be
required to
refund bag fees
if the bag is
lost. Airlines
must also apply
the same baggage
allowances and
fees for all
segments of a
trip, including
segments with
interline and
code-share
partners.
The existing
ban on lengthy
tarmac delays
will now cover
foreign
airlines’
operations at US
airports - a
four hour hard
time limit on
tarmac delays
for
international
flights, with
exceptions
allowed only for
safety, security
or air traffic
control-related
reasons.
Passengers stuck
on the tarmac
must be provided
adequate food
and water after
two hours, as
well as working
lavatories and
any necessary
medical
treatment (this
is a reaction to
the December
2010 blizzard
chaos at JFK).
Airlines will
be required to
promptly notify
consumers of
delays of over
30 minutes, as
well as
cancellations
and diversions,
in the boarding
gate area, on a
carrier’s
telephone
reservation
system and on
its website.
Airlines will
have to allow
reservations to
be held at the
quoted fare
without payment,
or cancelled
without penalty,
for at least 24
hours, if the
reservation is
made one week or
more prior to a
flight’s
departure date.
Post-purchase
fare increases
will be banned
unless they are
due to
government-imposed
taxes or fees,
and only if the
passenger is
notified of and
agrees to the
potential
increase at the
time of sale.
Mobile phones
Spectrum
re-farming
Eh? What's that?
The explosion of
smart-phones,
all using data,
has caused a lot
of bottlenecks
and congestion
to appear in
mobile networks.
While some of
these are caused
by deficiencies
in the networks'
systems, there
is one
bottleneck that
cannot be fixed
just by changing
some
electronics.
There
is a growing
shortage of
mobile-phone
spectrum (the
frequencies that
phones use to
communicate
over). As data
usage grows
(especially with
next-generation
4G devices -
Telstra just
turned on its
first 4G
system), the
frequencies
become clogged
and if faster
speeds are
needed, more
frequencies are
needed.
Trouble is,
there aren't too
many frequency
bands available
worldwide (and
they need to be
coordinated,
especially if
handsets are
able to roam in
other
countries). Not
just any
spectrum will do
- mobile phone
signals need to
penetrate
buildings, so
only the right
frequencies will
do.
Some spectrum is
freed up from
things like
moving to
digital TV, but
there is a
growing push to
re-use the
existing
mobile-phone
spectrum. Usage
on the 2G GSM
bands has
dropped, as most
new handsets are
3G, so countries
are considering
re-using a 2G
band (2G
actually uses
two bands - 900
and 1800 MHz)
for 4G.
Maybe our
appetite for
data will
eventually kill
the GSM mobile
system (the
original 2G
networks),
although of
course we'll
then be using
its successors!
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