Following the United Kingdom’s decision to exit the European Union, the citizens now have to comply with new regulations that are not governed and monitored by the EU. Likewise, the “roam like at home” provision established by the EU is no longer applicable to UK mobile users.
Due to the suspension of this roaming law, mobile operators present in the UK act independently and are directly responsible for developing international roaming policies. UK-based tourists are now charged £2 per day for initiating phone calls, sending text messages, and accessing mobile data amenities when travelling.
According to Ofcom [The Office of Communications], close to 20% of the general audience is unaware of roaming charges applicable while travelling abroad. Therefore, to safeguard the general audience against escalating roaming bills, Ofcom plans to implement a new roaming alert order.
With the effective implementation of this standard, UK mobile operators must now notify users availing roaming services about the additional charges that are to be imposed. Many carrier networks ensure to alert existing subscribers about roaming charges, however, these notifications remain unclear and inconsistent.
Ofcom aims to limit this issue by imposing a new mobile roaming alert policy.
Table of Contents
The Impact of Brexit on International Roaming Expenses
When an individual visits a foreign country, the mobile network switches and connects with a relevant foreign carrier. Mobile operator services are limited to specific geographical locations. Therefore, individuals must rely on substitute carrier signals to effectively access the internet, initiate phone calls, and share messages through texts.
Every time an individual uses their mobile phone abroad, additional charges through international roaming are applied. Since Brexit, UK citizens cannot capitalise on free-roaming benefits enforced under EU legislation. The provision of free roaming across 27 EU destinations is now deemed redundant. Hence, Brits are liable to pay international roaming expenses as incurred.
International roaming policies and charges are now formulated by UK carrier operators. Carrier network subscribers must check with the network concerned to gain complete information about international roaming rates. Initially, at the time of Brexit, certain laws protected mobile phone users against surging phone bills when abroad.
A temporary law was instituted by the UK government where customers were alerted by the mobile operator concerned when 80% of their data allowance had been exhausted. Moreover, the government also established a £45 monthly phone bill limit for users who were travelling to foreign locations. However, these regulations were suspended in July 2022.
The majority of UK mobile operators vouched to maintain and implement these measures. However, there is no guarantee that these standards are being administered. These factors act as a primary contributor to the evolution of the new roaming regulation by Ofcom.
Analysing the Market Trends and User Preference
According to Yonder, one out of five individuals who are travelling abroad is entirely unaware of international roaming charges. Another 18% of the target audience claimed to have not conducted any research about additional roaming expenses.
Most of the subscribers, estimated to be around 94%, depend on alerts to gain valuable insight on roaming. Out of which only 84% go through the information shared through the alerts. Of the subscribers who read the alerts, 94% of them consider the notifications to be useful and effectively alter their data consumption according to the roaming charges.
It is estimated that 29% of subscribers use only Wi-Fi, 26% try to consume less mobile data, and 24% do not access the internet through cellular data after reviewing the alerts. Therefore, updating the travelling subscribers about enhanced roaming changers can assist them in controlling their phone bills.
Compulsory Roaming Alerts
Ofcom strives to execute the international roaming alert policy, compelling UK mobile operators to share credentials concerning:
- The timeline when roaming services are activated.
- The additional cost incurred while using roaming amenities.
- Educating subscribers about alternate options that can help them to control roaming costs.
However, these measures are only imposed to inform the general audience about roaming charges. The policy does not intend to hinder or regulate mobile operators from applying roaming prices. With the assistance of this standard mobile phone users will receive personalised notifications about:
- Complete information regarding roaming rates and cost breakdown.
- Updates concerning data limits and the timeline of roaming activities.
- Alerts about the application of phone bill limits according to the subscriber’s preference.
- Sharing sources through which the carrier roaming policies can be verified and reviewed.
- Details about carrier-specific fair data use policy.
- Suggestions that help subscribers to monitor and limit additional data usage.
Safeguarding Users Against Inadvertent Roaming Changes
The issue of inadvertent roaming is frequently faced by multiple UK citizens, especially those who reside or work near the English coast. Inadvertent roaming can be defined as a technical issue where an individual connects with a foreign network while being present in the home country.
According to Ofcom, close to 14% of Brits have been affected by this limitation. However, the figures considerably amplify for the people residing in Northern Ireland as thousands of users often switch networks with Irish carriers. As per the reports shared by The Consumer Council, around 22% of individuals living in Northern Ireland experienced inadvertent roaming complications in 2022.
Sharing roaming alerts is a viable solution. However, Ofcom is focused on introducing dynamic proposals that limit the problem of inadvertent roaming entirely. Mobile operators would have to comply with the following:
- Educate the general audience on how to navigate through the inadvertent roaming issue while being present in the UK and when travelling.
- Establishing standards that assist subscribers to minimise their roaming expenses.
Adopting new measures that include special tariffs for the people residing in Northern Ireland can resolve inadvertent roaming.
Going Forward – What to Expect?
Ofcom plans to enforce this policy by the first quarter of 2024. UK mobile operators already have the technology in place that allows them to share alerts to the general users at large. Therefore, the execution of the standard should take little time.
However, there might be some changes to the process of sharing alerts. Hence, mobile operators will be given a deadline extending to 6 months from the initial announcement date.
