Mobile roaming will not be protected in no-deal Brexit
But big network operators have undertaken not to bring back charges, says minister
London — British tourists could see the return of expensive mobile roaming charges when they go on holiday the day after Britain leaves the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit, digital minister Jeremy Wright said on Thursday. Roaming charges were completely abolished in the EU in 2017, saving holidaymakers and business travellers millions of pounds a year in total additional charges for using their smartphones outside Britain.
“If we were to say to mobile network operators in this country, ‘You may not impose roaming charges on your customers who travel to the EU’, that cannot prevent European mobile network operating companies charging UK mobile network operating companies money,” he told MPs. “That money has to be paid by somebody and if we are saying to the mobile network operators in this country that they may not pass it on to customers who are roaming, they will undoubtedly pass it on to all their other customers instead.” However, Wright said that operators that provide...
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