It’s cheaper to roam on Cloud 9

Irish regulator ComReg has decided operators should start allowing their subscribers to access discount roaming companies’ services without paying a set-up fee. UK-based roaming provider Cloud 9, which claims to offer services ‘on one easy affordable SIM card,’ reportedly contested set-up fees and recurring monthly costs charged by operators Eircom and Vodafone Ireland, instigating a dispute where the latter two argued that without these charges they would have no guarantee of regular income from roaming services. ComReg has ruled that European law requires operators to allow third party network access free of charge and that set-up fees are ‘not permissible,’ thus declaring Cloud 9 will not be expected to pay most of the charges.