Uswitch comments on new Ofcom roaming rules for providers

Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, comments on the new Ofcom roaming rules for providers:

“From 1 October, new guidance from the telecoms regulator Ofcom means that all UK mobile providers must notify customers when they start roaming, state any charges that apply, and advise on setting a spending cap. 

“This is good news, as while many providers have competitive roaming policies in place, there is still inconsistency between providers and the clarity of information available.  

“However, it won’t prevent them from being subject to roaming costs, which can be an eye-watering £9 per MB of data in some countries[2]. There is still virtually nothing to stop providers from charging whatever they like when you use your phone abroad. 

“We know from our research that British travellers have been hit with high unexpected roaming charges to the tune of £539 million last year[1], so we hope this change will go some way to reducing this.

“Travellers should remain cautious when using data abroad and look at alternatives, such as a travel eSIM (an embedded SIM which removes the need for a physical SIM card) or consider providers that have roaming included at no additional charge, such as Lebara or O2."