New mobile roaming regulations have been introduced by Ofcom as of the 1st October.
New Roaming Regulations
Ofcom has introduced new mobile roaming regulations which kicked in last Monday.
The updated rules are part of General Condition C3 and are designed to improve transparency of roaming charges to help protect customers.
The changes are focussed around giving more information to customers when they start roaming so that they aren’t caught unawares, facing bills for costs they didn’t even know they were incurring.
Why is there an Issue?
“If you use your mobile abroad, your provider will now be forced to automatically send you clearer alerts about roaming costs under new rules from telecoms regulator Ofcom, which take effect from today (Tuesday 1 October). The change follows our long-running campaign for consumers’ roaming rights to be increased after existing protections ended post-Brexit.” – Money Saving Expert
When we left the EU, EU ‘roam like at home’ rules and UK law which required mobile operators to alert customers of charges when they start to roam, no longer applied.
Since then, it has been up to each individual mobile service provider to decide whether they wish to voluntarily send their customers alerts, meaning that there has been a lack of consistency between which people using their phone abroad are notified about roaming costs
What are Mobile Service Providers Now Required to Do?
Mobile service providers are now required to give customers more detailed information on their charges, tariffs and roaming services. This information can be delivered via notifications or through channels like the provider’s website.
Ofcom’s new measures have also targeted inadvertent roaming to protect those who accidentally connect to foreign networks while near a national border, despite not physically being in that country. Providers are now required to have systems in place to minimise these incidents and to make their customers aware of any potential roaming charges in these areas.
Providers must make sure any roaming information is accessible, available upon request and free of charge, for customers with disabilities.
If you use your mobile abroad, your provider will have to send you a notification when you start roaming. . The message should include, or direct you to a place to find out, information on:
The point you start roaming, and for charges based on certain time periods, at what point this period starts and ends
- Any fair use or time limits that apply
- The option to set a spending cap
- Where to find more information on roaming limits and costs
Providers must also have measures in place to allow customers to reduce or limit their spending on roaming while in the UK.
Avoiding Unexpected Roaming Charges
Some things you can do to protect yourself from unexpected roaming charges are:
- Putting into place a spend cap with your mobile provider before you go abroad
- Turning off your data and only use Wi-Fi networks
- Turning on your low data or data-saving mode if you do need to use data roaming