More bang for the buck

This week European Union telecommunications ministers will consider approving rate limits on cross-border SMS messaging and mobile 'net surfing.

The proposal, made by telecom commissioner Viviane Reding, calls for a retail charge cap of 11 euro cents ($0.14) for cross-border text messages — which would lower charges across European borders by an average of 62% from the current average rate of 29 euro cents ($0.38). A similar decline is expected for data roaming charges.

Ministers will likely approve the proposition, but reportedly plan to reject Reding's request that telecom costs and regulations within all 27 EU countries be unified. The demand would necessitate the creation of a centralized EU regulator that could intervene on national telecommunications markets, reports The New York Times.

If passed, the price caps will take effect on July 1. Independent carriers naturally oppose them.

A comScore study found mobile search is up 38% in Western Europe. This week Nielsen reported mobile online use in the United Kingdom alone is growing eight times faster than PC-based internet use.