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Global roaming tariffs slashed

By Li Weitao (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-06-16 08:43

China Mobile Communications Corp, the country's largest mobile phone operator, has slashed its global roaming tariffs.

The new pricing plan will see Chinese travellers to overseas save costs on both roaming calls and GPRS (general package radio service) data services by 50 per cent.
China Mobile, the world's largest mobile operator by subscribers, has also introduced a unified charging system for global roaming.

Previously, charges for travellers' roaming calls varied, depending on which local network partner of China Mobile the user chose when travelling to a country or a region.

The charge is now the same, no matter what operator the mobile phone subscriber chooses.

Since last year, China Mobile has been gradually lowering the charges for global roaming services by offering special packages.

Guo Haitao, an analyst with Beijing-based research house CCW Research, said the reductions on tariffs were "significant." 

He added the price cut was designed to take account of global trends, rather than putting pressure on its smaller rival, China Unicom.

In the past few months, the European Commission has been proposing to slash mobile phone roaming tariffs within Europe.