Paris — Long an important source of revenue for telecoms companies, roaming charges will be lifted in Europe from June 15, raising pressure on operators in a tight market.Roaming charges within and outside Europe account for an average of about 5% of sales for telephone operators in Europe, estimates Sylvain Chevallier of BearingPoint.But the effect of the new measure will differ for corporate and individual clients, he adds.On the Spanish market, subject to wide seasonal variations in business due to a reliance on tourism, Telefonica estimates the end of roaming charges in the EU will lead to a 1.2% drop in its sales this year.But the change can hardly come as a shock for telecoms operators, according to Victor Marcais of Roland Berger, who noted the plans have been in the works for several years and were "largely anticipated"."If the operators are not ready, it will be more their fault than anything else," said Dexter Thillien, an analyst with BMI Research, adding: "It has been ve...
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