Estonia, EU – Baltic States, Legislation, Markets and Companies, Telecomunications

Chairman of the Board of Elisa Eesti Sami Seppänen said that the abolition of roaming charges means that the revenues of Estonian telecom operators from roaming fees decline since prices fall.

"This is no big news because a similar development has taken place over the past few years. This time the price falls rate is even steeper," explained Seppänen.

During the making of roaming regulation, Seppänen said that it has been promised that consumption volumes would grow, but the reality is that price cuts have not led to a summary growth in the volume of consumption.

Seppänen said that unfortunately, while consumer prices fall, wholesale prices to operators will not fall, which in turn means that the operator's costs associated with roaming services will not be reduced and this in turn is likely to lead to price increases for domestic services.

Eesti Telekom's spokesman Raigo Neudorf said: "The mobile service pricing in foreign countries thus becomes more affordable and easier to understand for people. Whether and to what extent the regulation will affect the prices valid for Estonians today, only time will tell, because the work including operators of different states in this sphere is only just beginning," Neudorf did not want to confirm price increase or fall.

Tele2 Product Director Katrin Aron said that the regulation is for consumers definitely positive, and Tele2 is currently not planning to increase prices.