Why have operators not brought prices down voluntarily?
Although a few market players have begun to reduce prices, this has only been under the threat of regulation when Reding announced, in February 2006, her intention to regulate. There is no guarantee that without this threat, prices would fall. In addition, not all consumers stand to gain by existing offers. Many current schemes require users to actively subscribe to them and, on top of this, they have to pay for the privilege. Such packages also tend to target certain groups only while general consumers remain unaware. That is why the EU regulation will be fairer for all and, in particular, also allow smaller operators to compete.
