Comparative Analysis of International Mobile Wireless Roaming Rates of Canadian Wireless Service Providers and International Counterparts

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) requires an in-depth comparative analysis of how international mobile roaming (IMR) rates charged by Canadian wireless service providers (WSPs) to their subscribers compare with those charged by international counterparts (i.e., WSPs providing mobile wireless services in these countries: Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States).

The study must include an analysis of the factors that may explain the differences (e.g., regulatory, economic, geopolitical, structural and/or technical) between the IMR rates charged by Canadian WSPs to their subscribers and those charged by WSPs providing mobile wireless services in the selected international jurisdictions.

The resulting report may inform the next steps the CRTC may take on this topic. If the CRTC determines that a public process will be held on this topic, CRTC staff will include a version of the report, which may be abridged, in the public record of the process. Otherwise, a version of the report will be made available on the CRTC website. The CRTC requires the Contractor to: i. Provide information about the applicable market structure and regulatory approaches for IMR in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States, including information about applicable international roaming arrangements between jurisdictions (e.g., within regional economic blocs) and on any shifts in applicable regulations over the last five years. ii. Conduct an in-depth comparative analysis of the retail IMR rates (voice, SMS, and data roaming services, either provided on a stand-alone basis or bundled) charged by Canadian WSPs to their subscribers and those charged by WSPs providing mobile wireless services in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For international price comparison purposes, foreign currency prices can be converted to Canadian dollars using currency market exchange rates adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) differences between countries. For this study, the OECD's latest available PPP comparative price level indexes can be used for this purpose. As rates change rapidly, data used for the analysis must be collected on at least three different dates at least seven days apart. a. Consider in the analysis: bundling practices, exemptions, data caps/fair use policies/control mechanisms, and overage charges. Provide the methodology used for the comparative analysis and highlight any differences in specific terms and conditions applying to the rates or plans that may impact the analysis. b. Consider in the analysis the differences between IMR rates charged in economic trade zones and/or areas with proximity ties compared to other international jurisdictions, c. Consider in the analysis the availability and use of different IMR flat-rate roaming plans (e.g., flat daily, three-day, monthly) and pay-per-use IMR voice, SMS, and data, including the average use per day, the extent to which price per use is used, plus the price per day compared to the price per use. d. Other factors that should be considered include: i. Whether access to emergency services is considered in pay-per-use usage, ii. Terms and conditions pertaining to prepaid and open data bundles, and/or iii. Whether machine-to-machine communications are included and/or regulated. iii. Provide a description and an assessment of which factors and considerations (e.g., international termination rates, wholesale IMR rates, facilities-based relative to MVNOs, and/or other regulatory, economic, geopolitical, structural, or technical factors) may explain the differences in IMR rates charged by Canadian WSPs compared to international counterparts. iv. Provide information and an assessment of trends and technological changes (e.g., tablets for mobile network operator selection; software-defined Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) in small external devices; Wi-Fi services provided through a combination of public networks and private MVNO using a virtual private network) that could influence the dynamics of the IMR market, including impacts on competition.