Telephone companies once again end up in the crosshairs of the Antitrust. Tim, Wind Tre e Vodafone Italy are at the center of three investigations because they are suspected of incorrectly providing a service unknown to most users: the maritime roaming. Which obviously isn't free.
It's all about the service it allows to those traveling by sea to have phones, PCs and tablets connected even when the terrestrial network is down, using a satellite connection that connects to a series of devices installed on boats. The service is activated when the ship moves away from the coast, stopping as soon as the port of docking approaches and the terrestrial network is available again.
The suspicion is that the three companies have maritime roaming costs will be charged to customers' SIM cards aboard ships"without adequate information – writes the Antitrust – and without the request from customers of this supply, both during the signing of the contract and during the use of the service on the ship".
The hypothesis of violation “consists, therefore, in an aggressive practice for the unsolicited provision of paid services”, continues the Authority.
The Antitrust also hypothesizes a liability on the part of some shipping companies (Grimaldi Group Spa, Grandi Navi Veloci Spa, Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione Spa), who allegedly failed to inform passengers of maritime roaming on board their ships.
On Thursday, the officials of the Authority, together with the men of the Guardia di Finanza, carried out inspections in the offices of Tim, Wind Tre and Vodafone Italia. The dossier is in the hands of the Antitrust general directorate for consumer protection, led by Giovanni Calabrò.
