Has the Inquiry Recommended Mandatory Roaming Across All Existing Mobile Networks?
No. “Roaming” refers to the ability for mobile phone users to make or receive calls on other service providers’ cellular networks when outside the coverage area of their own service provider’s network. In the near future, Telecom and Vodafone will be offering enhanced and high-speed data services over mobile phones. These services (known as “2½G”) will be an important stepping stone to the next generation of mobile technology (“3G”), which will become available in about 3 years. The Inquiry has recommended that Telecom and Vodafone should be required to offer roaming on their 2½G networks on request, but only to those new entrants that have acquired sufficient spectrum (2½G or 3G) to roll out a national network. Roaming would only be available for a limited period while these new entrants rolled out their networks. The price for such services would be a matter for commercial negotiation. These recommendations recognise the importance of 2½G and 3G services to the future of the mobile m
