Consumer watchdog Which one? urged the government to negotiate provisions for inclusive roaming in any future relationship with the EU and in any other trade deals reached after Brexit. All roaming charges were removed in the EU in June 2017 after several years of price reductions, in line with EU law, and these regulations will remain in place until the expiry of the UK's Transition Agreement with the EU later this year. If the two parties cannot reach an agreement, or if roaming is not included in any agreement, UK and European operators would not be required to offer fee-free usage when subscribers use their phones on the internet. abroad.
Roaming in the EU
In theory, this means that operators will no longer be required to offer roaming services at a regulated rate, which could be passed on to customers. However, nothing prevents operators from entering into wholesale agreements with their counterparts in other countries. Most UK operators have said there won't be an immediate change to their roaming proposals regardless of the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, but which one? he said there should be a formal arrangement in place. The organization is concerned about the lack of a mechanism to prevent operators from changing positions, which imposes additional inconvenience and costs on clients. It notes that roaming charges in non-EU countries can be significant if there is no plan or add-on in place. The main protection against bill shock is a £45 limit, after which customers must 'sign up' to incur additional fees, potentially exposing themselves to huge costs. This is especially true if consumers forget to turn off roaming before leaving. The situation is made worse by the fact that the public has just gotten used to the idea that they could use their phones abroad without running up a huge bill. Years of careful behavior have been eroded, and some consumers may not be aware of the changes. Which is it? He argues that including roaming provisions in a trade agreement would demonstrate the government's commitment to consumer protection and would also increase the effectiveness of any agreement with the EU, US or anyone else. “UK holidaymakers can face exorbitant fees and lock their phones when roaming with certain network providers in non-EU countries, with simple features like uploading a photo potentially costing €30 and streaming a song close to €20. XNUMX”, said Sue Davies, which one? Responsible for consumer protection. “As trade negotiations with priority countries intensify, it is important for the government to protect and, ideally, strengthen the rights of consumers. Which is it? calls for provisions to be included in these negotiations to put an end to the fact that some mobile operators charge excessively high fees when customers are abroad. "