Google reportedly is in talks with the operator of the UK's Three and
several other mobile networks to let subscribers use its upcoming
mobile phone service without charge while abroad.
Google hopes to
offer customers free use of its upcoming network while outside the US,
with none of the traditional "roaming" fees travelers pay, according to a report Saturday in the Telegraph. That option is the subject of negotiations between Google and Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa, the UK newspaper said, citing unnamed industry sources.
Hutchison Whampoa would be a potentially powerful global partner to
help Google cut roaming fees. It operates the UK's Three network and is
trying to acquire the UK's O2 network from Telefonica. It also operates networks in Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Ireland. In March, Google announced plans to offer mobile phone network service
in coming months through partnerships to use other operators' network
infrastructure. Although Google's product chief Sundar Pichai said the
service will be "smaller scale," it could shake up the market by
resetting customer expectations for what a network should offer and how
much it could cost.
Roaming fees are a painful part of mobile
phone service for people who travel outside their home countries. They
can be socked with steep fees for calls, text messages and Internet data
transfer -- unless they choose to forgo mobile phone service while
traveling. Relief from roaming fees has become a selling point for carriers trying to challenge larger incumbents. For example, T-Mobile USA offers some free international roaming benefits and has lured customers away from the top US carriers, AT&T and Verizon.
source: cnet.com
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