The Antitrust Authority in Italy, ACMA, has launched three preliminary proceedings against Telecom Italia SpA, Wind Tre SpA, and Vodafone Italia SpA, concerning alleged improper commercial practices for the unsolicited supply of the maritime roaming service. maritime roaming italia

The preliminary hypothesis concerns the debiting, on the SIM of the customers, of the costs for the use of this mobile communication service on board ships without adequate information and without the request by the customers of such supply, both during the signing of the contract that during the use of the service on the ship.

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It is known that the maritime roaming service allows passengers traveling on ferries / ships to use mobile communication services even without coverage of the terrestrial network. Mobile devices (telephones, tablets, PCs) are enabled, through the satellite connection made possible by base stations installed on board ships, as soon as the ship leaves the coast and disengages from the mobile land network. The use of the service ceases when the ship approaches the coast when the mobile device hangs up on the terrestrial network.

The hypothesis of violation of the Code consists, therefore, in an aggressive practice for the supply of unsolicited paid services.

The Involved Companies: Telecom Italia, Wind Tre, and Vodafone

Telecom Italia

Telecom Italia, historically one of the major players in the Italian telecommunications market, has been accused of failing to provide adequate information to its customers regarding maritime roaming services. The business practices of Telecom Italia have raised questions about the company’s ethical conduct and its management of customer satisfaction. The company is now compelled to reassess its communication and customer support procedures.

Wind Tre maritime roaming italia

Wind Tre, the result of the merger between Wind and H3G, faces similar criticisms. The AGCM has highlighted how the lack of transparency in offers and the absence of clear procedures for activating and deactivating services led to misunderstandings among consumers. The company must tackle not only the communication issue but also the implementation of corrective measures to rebuild trust with its customers.

Vodafone

Likewise, Vodafone, a global operator with a strong presence in Italy, has been under scrutiny. Its reputation, built over years of innovation and service quality, has been jeopardized by these commercial practices. Vodafone now finds itself in a critical position, tasked not only with defending against the allegations but also with reinterpreting its approach to customer experience.

There is also a hypothesis of information omission on the part of some shipping companies (Grimaldi Group Spa, Grandi Navi Veloci Spa, Italian Navigation Company Spa), which failed to provide adequate information to its passengers, customers of the aforementioned telephone operators on the existence of maritime roaming on board their ships.

Today, the Authority’s officials carried out inspections in the offices of the telephone companies involved, with the help of the Special Antitrust Unit of the Guardia di Finanza.

Conclusion maritime roaming italia

The action taken by the AGCM against Telecom Italia, Wind Tre, and Vodafone for unsolicited maritime roaming services marks a critical step towards safeguarding consumer rights. It sends a clear signal that transparency and ethics must be at the core of business practices in the telecommunications sector. As the market evolves and technological transformations occur, companies need to adopt a customer-centric approach to ensure fair competition and quality service.