Roaming fees drop

Europeans can now use their mobile phones in other European Union countries at a much cheaper rate, after price caps on roaming fees took effect, according to cbc.

"The roaming rip-off is now coming to an end," Viviane Reding, European Union Telecoms commissioner, says in a statement.

The new regulations, which affect voice, text and data services, are expected to cut roaming charges by an average of 60% within the union's 27 member states, and are expected to boost mobile phone use.

Comcast's release of its 'High-Speed 2go' service, which bundles Clearwire's WiMax service with its own broadband products, will put new pressure on competitors AT&T and Verizon, according to analyst firm Strategy Analytics, states Cloud Computing Journal.

The service, set to launch in Portland, Oregon, offers 4G mobile broadband and high-speed home Internet for $50 a month, while neither AT&T nor Verizon is currently marketing a similar bundle.

Comcast's success, however, will hinge largely on its ability to market the service and gain traction with customers before the top two wireless companies come back with similar offerings.

Vodafone Group, the world's largest mobile phone company, is considering a bid for T-Mobile UK, the British wireless unit of Deutsche Telekom, a person familiar with the situation said, reports Bloomberg.

Newbury, England-based Vodafone may make an offer or form a joint venture, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.

The deal would create an entity with about 35 million subscribers, or 50% of the UK mobile market. The German company's unit, T-Mobile UK, had sales of four billion euros last year.