SimplySwitch comments on the launch of '3 Like Home'

‘3’ customers visiting Ireland, Italy, Austria, Australia, Hong Kong, Sweden and Denmark can take advantage of being on one of 3's sister networks to make and receive voice and video calls, send texts, picture and video messages without being stung by rip-off roaming charges.

Karen Darby, of price comparison service SimplySwitch.com comments: “This is a great step forward for the consumer as international roaming charges have been far too expensive for far too long. 3 have really upped the ante in the mobile market. The other major networks will need to follow suit or risk being left behind.

“While we congratulate 3 for taking the first step in giving customers a fairer deal, people should be aware of the limitations of 3’s new offer.

“The UK’s three favourite international destinations are Spain, France and USA. These account for 44% of all UK trips abroad. However, 3 doesn’t have ‘sister networks’ in these countries, so roaming charges will still apply to nearly half of all holidays.

“Even when you’re visiting countries with a 3 network, you’ll need to make sure you’re connected to it if you want to avoid the rip-off charges. When customers move outside 3’s coverage area onto another network, roaming charges will be applied to any calls made or received. In the UK, 1 in 10 people are outside 3’s coverage area. If similar deficiencies exist in other countries, it is vital to check which network you’re connected to before using your phone. While the connected network is listed on the phone’s display, we fear that many people will forget to check it, especially when receiving a call.”