Sources inform ''Globes'' that the Ministry of Communications has notified the cellular operators that it was considering taking action on the problem of interference from Jordanian networks in border areas. The ministry has received hundreds of complaints from people who find themselves on Jordanian networks when traveling along the border.
The result of this is that internal calls are charged international rates and roaming charges, even when the callers never leave Israeli territory.
The ministry is considering a number of options to deal with this longstanding problem that has never been conclusively solved. As a result of the many complaints, including from the heads of local authorities, the ministry is seeking more active measures than the one taken so far by the cellular operators, which is an SMS warning of the risk of roaming onto a Jordanian network.
The Ministry of Communications is considering ordering the cellular operators to sell new handsets that are blocked from involuntary roaming as the default option. The customer will be told that the handset cannot be used in other countries and how to make it available for overseas use, how to operate the roaming function and to select the network, and what are the ramifications. In effect, the default options are redefined to become manually operated instead of automatic and subscribers will have to take active action to be able to use their phones when traveling abroad.
As for current subscribers, the Ministry of Communications proposes that mobile operators inform subscribers over an 18-month period how to operate their handsets to prevent them switching to Jordanian networks. The ministry is also considering banning operators from billing customers for Jordanian roaming charges in advance. Any such charge will only be allowed after the subscriber approves it.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 17, 2008
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