Why does the EU roaming regulation intervene at the wholesale and retail level?
In mobile roaming markets, due to their complex and non-transparent nature, a reduction of wholesale prices does not mean consumers will benefit from lower retail prices. Previous experience with roaming markets show that wholesale savings of roaming costs made by operators have, in general, not been passed on to consumers – a phenomenon noted in particular by the EU’s national telecom regulators in their document Regulators Intensify Work on Mobile International Roaming. This is why the EC felt a need to intervene exceptionally also at the retail level.
