Wireless Carriers Ink International Roaming Deal

Wireless operators across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region announced this week a series of roaming agreements in which crossing borders does not translate into loss of service or fear of fees.

The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) -- which includes BT, Maxis, NTT, T-Mobile, Telstra and StarHub -- announced that the roaming arrangements would allow users to connect via the same broadband WiFi subscriptions at home and abroad.

"This will give the customers access to information, communication and entertainment through a single wireless broadband account," the WBA said in a statement.

One World, One Account

The WBA, which claims collective operation of more than 18,000 wireless hot spots around the globe, said the announcement is aimed at international travelers looking to stay connected throughout the world.

The group -- made up of about a dozen major carriers from the UK, China, Japan, Australia, the U.S. and elsewhere -- said that the roaming deals "set the standard" for a uniform and consistent approach to international roaming and should help drive widespread adoption of wireless broadband.

"For the first time ever, the customers of our participating carriers will be able to roam across the broader international wireless broadband networks with one account," said WBA chairman Kyong Yu in a statement.

Not Needed in US

Ken Dulaney, Gartner vice president of mobile computing, said that despite the size of the U.S., the carrier coverage in North America does not require the type of cross-roaming agreements announced this week, which do cover some international visitors in the U.S. and Canada.

Formed last year, the WBA's goal is to drive wireless broadband adoption through a common commercial, technical and marketing framework. The group consists of three working groups in those areas.

In July 2003 it launched its first roaming pilot. As of about a year ago, the Alliance membership had grown rapidly from the initial group of five to 17 network operators.

No Added Fees

Dulaney called the WBA roaming deals a response by the carriers to the desire for flat-rate plans that do not include added fees.

There is some concern that roaming fees, which are being waived until the end of the year, will later be reimposed by carriers within the roaming agreements. Dulaney does not think this is likely, however, because the agreement resulted in part from user unrest over roaming fees.

"A flat rate is what people want, and they want that internationally, especially in Europe, where crossing borders is common," Dulaney told TechNewsWorld.

"People hate [roaming fees]. I think the whole purpose of this is to try and cap roaming fees to get them under control."