European Commission enquiry into Britain’s mobile companies

Commenting on the launch of a European Commission enquiry into the high fees Britain’s mobile companies charge users for surfing the internet, texting and downloading data, Rob Barnes, head of mobiles at moneysupermarket.com, said: “It currently costs customers a fortune to text and surf the internet when they are abroad. This enquiry, and hopefully the ultimate reduction in prices, cannot come too soon.

“In the UK, networks encourage data usage with fixed monthly tariffs such as T-Mobile’s unlimited “web ‘n’ walk” product, priced competitively at £7.50 and £12.50 a month. Nevertheless, at present, there is a huge discrepancy between the cost of data downloads in the UK and those abroad – which can frequently cost more than twice the price. Customers are often not aware of the vast expense of texting or using the internet when travelling overseas and we believe that networks should do more to inform people of the high costs involved.

“We do appreciate a degree of pricing increase is justified – particularly as European networks are not as advanced as the UK in terms of 3G coverage. This means that data is often sent across standard networks, this alters the cost slightly as download times may be longer and therefore more expensive. But the huge price hike, and inconsistency across borders, simply cannot be excused. We look forward to a significant reduction in charges as a result of this enquiry, in much the same way as phone companies were forced to reduce the prices or calling home from abroad earlier this year.”