Mobile firms refuse to rule out return of roaming charges after Brexit - MSE News

Former_MSE_Callum

Mobile firms refuse to rule out return of roaming charges after Brexit...

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'Mobile firms refuse to rule out return of roaming charges after Brexit'

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grumbler

Why would they rule this out?
This was one of the most awkward Brussels' decisions with absurd consequences - and has to be one of the first to go if Brexit happens.

jbryce

My contract with O2 has free roaming in 75 countries including the EU countries. Presumably they will continue to honour that? Though in November when it comes up for renewal, it might not be available any more.

margaretx9

I expect they will keep it - as it costs them very little and whoever drops it first will lose customers.

margaretx9

jbryce wrote: »

My contract with O2 has free roaming in 75 countries including the EU countries. Presumably they will continue to honour that? Though in November when it comes up for renewal, it might not be available any more.

o2 has a very odd choice of countries in its inclusive non Europe zone.

Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and the US I can see potential but do many of their customers visit Yemen, Rwanda, Honduras and Greenland? You might expect to see places like UAE, Qatar, Singapore, India and Thailand i.e. places Brits might actually visit outside Europe!

o2 inclusive travel zone
Argentina Honduras
Australia Madagascar
Botswana Mexico
Canada Myanmar
Chile New Zealand
Colombia Nicaragua
Costa Rica Panama
Ecuador Paraguay
El Salvador Peru
Greenland Rwanda
Guatamala United States
Guinea Uruguay
Guyana Venezuela
Yemen

boatman

Depends if the Government keep the same rules. Given that the mouth piece of big business is the conservative party, its hard to believe the current rules will continue.

simax

FWIW, EE have had free EU roaming since launch in 2012 so I don’t see why it would change after Brexit?

pmduk

I'm just fed up with the whole situation! My main point remains. Why expect any industry to be able to say what will happen in a few months time, particularly when nobody, last of all our Government can give them any guidance?

simax wrote: »

FWIW, EE have had free EU roaming since launch in 2012 so I don’t see why it would change after Brexit?

We'll be in a whole new economic climate so whose to say what will be necessary?

jmjuk

They should keep the prices as they are. No excuse to increase them.

pmduk

jmjuk wrote: »

They should keep the prices as they are. No excuse to increase them.

Perhaps you could explain your knowlege of the industry's finances post-Brexit to justify that statement?

Ian011

The current EU regulation does not only specify how much callers should pay to make and receive calls while visiting other EU states and territories, it also sets out the wholesale rates the mobile providers can charge the caller's home provider when people from other EU member states are roaming on their network.

Once the UK leaves the EU these obligations will no longer apply to UK providers when EU citizens visit the UK, nor will they apply when UK citizens visit the EU. For inclusive roaming to continue there will need to be either a deal between the UK and EU or else negotiations between individual UK mobile providers and every EU mobile provider.