Europe Ireland : 3, Ireland’s mobile media network, announced it is reducing EU roaming prices by up to 80%, significantly undercutting all other Irish operators and the new Eurotariff imposed by The European Commission earlier this year. 

3’s new rates of 39c per min to make a call within the EU and 19c per min to receive a call within the EU from anywhere in the world are by far the best in the Irish market. 

The new EU ruling on roaming, which comes into effect on the 30th August 2007, will cap the cost of making calls within the EU to 59c per minute and 29c per minute to receive calls*. 3 reviewed the ruling and opted to reduce its rates even further, making the 3 network 33% better value than the old networks for making and receiving calls within the EU (see comparison table below). The move underlines 3’s commitment to delivering the best roaming prices to Irish consumers and is made possible by the EU’s decision to regulate down the wholesale fees 3 has to pay to the old networks in European markets when 3’s customers travel.

3 roaming prices - competitor comparison (includes VAT)

Operator	Making Calls within EU (per min)	Making calls to Ireland when in the EU (per min)	Receiving calls from anywhere in the World (per min)
3	39c	39c	19c
Vodafone	59c	59c	29c
O2	59c	59c	29c
Meteor	59c	59c	29c

Robert Finnegan, Managing Director of 3, commented: “Today 3 has announced the most competitive EU roaming prices available to Irish consumers. 3 has been leading the campaign to end the roaming rip-off experienced by mobile users and has lobbied hard for the lowering of wholesale rates charged by the old networks. We’re delighted to see these wholesale prices coming down, allowing 3 to pass on the value to its customers with market-leading retail prices.”

He continued:  “3 is the only network to have chosen to offer better pricing than the Eurotariff, whilst the old networks do nothing more for consumers than they have to. The old networks have creamed profits from Irish consumers travelling abroad for years and equally 3 has had to pay exceptionally high prices to the incumbent networks to offer roaming services in markets where 3 does not have a network. Today’s bold step demonstrates that 3 is committed to bringing the best possible pricing to Irish consumers and we challenge the old networks to do the same.”

3’s new EU roaming rates complement 3’s existing '3 Like Home’ tariff which launched earlier this year. ‘3 Like Home’ enables all 3 customers travelling between the 3 Group networks** to be charged domestic rates and to receive free calls. In March 2006, 3 was the first network in Ireland to abolish cross-border roaming charges on a pan-UK basis for all its customers - business and consumer alike - without subjecting them to additional connection fees.

**3 Like Home

3 Like home gives 3 customers additional roaming benefits if they roam on any of the 3 Group networks in the UK, Italy, Austria, Australia, Hong Kong, Sweden and Denmark.  For further information on 3 Like Home see www.three.ie/international.