Tag archive: Commissioner Viviane

Should everyone have the right to broadband Internet access? That’s the issue before the European Commission at the moment, and they’re leaning toward yes. They’re bringing forward reviewing what basic telecoms services Europeans can expect, according to the BBC. Under EC rules, when the majority of people in the European Union enjoy a telecom service, it becomes one all Europeans should have access to. But at the moment,… Read More

The European Commission is taking steps to change the termination fees, which are the amounts mobile operators charge each other to use their networks. The plan is that by 2011 those figures will be harmonized across Europe, as opposed to the national fees currently enacted – currently 27 different ones. The belief is that this will result in lower call costs for consumers. These termination fees are nine times higher for… Read More

The European Commission has announced a plan for enabling a pan-European approach to in-flight mobile phone calls. The plan would enable a carrier in one member nation to offer phone communications services to passenger when flying over another member state, without having to apply for operational licenses in that country. The goal is to offer a single regulatory framework for in-flight calls. Although individual airlines will still be… Read More

Sending a text or having mobile Internet access while traveling from one European to another can be an expensive business – far too expensive, according to EU Commissioner Viviane Reding.   She’s told mobile operators throughout Europe to cut their charges before summer, or the EU will step in with regulations forcing a price reduction, the BBC has reported.   "Sending text messages or downloading other data via a… Read More

It comes as no shock or surprise, but the European Commission has confirmed the selection of DVB-H as the standard for mobile television throughout thecontinent.   EU Commissioner Viviane Reding had announced as much back in July, although the decision was subject to confirmation, which has now arrived.   The Mobile DTV Alliance wasformed in 2006 by Nokia, which helped develop DVB-H, along with Intel, Motorola,Modeo and Texas… Read More

The European Registry of Internet Domain Names reported that more than 300,000 people had applied for personal domains in the top-level .eu domain during its first hour of availability, with applications increasing to over 700,000 during the first four hours the TLD was open to the public. Current stats show the number of applications will shortly top 1 million. The .eu top-level domain has been available to businesses and some… Read More