A BAN on roaming charges has moved a step closer after the adoption last week of proposals by the European Commission to introduce a single European Telecoms market thus ending roaming charges.
This is good news for mobile users in Fermanagh, as many people in the county are living in areas that only pick up signal from mobile phone networks in the South. Areas such as Belcoo, Roslea, Teemore and Derrylin have suffered from this problem for years, but now it seems their troubles may soon be at an end.
Local Sinn Fein MLA Phil Flanagan has welcomed the adoption of proposals by the European Commission calling it ‘very good news for mobile phone consumers, not only across Ireland, but right across Europe’.
Mr Flanagan, who is the deputy chairman of the Assembly’s Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee, said:
“This move demonstrates the positive impact that being part of the European Union can have for citizens and bringing such progressive change should be the European Commission’s primary focus.
“For many years, we have seen mobile phone operators being told time and time again to reduce roaming charges, to stop ripping off consumers, but they have continued to unfairly exploit their own customers.
“As a result, the European Commission has been left with no option but to legislate for the reduction, and now, the banning of roaming charges.
“This, however, must only be the start of the journey. Much more action needs to be taken to remove remaining extortionate charges, particularly when it comes to data roaming, where consumers continue to pay over the odds for a service that costs mobile phone operators very little to provide.
“Mobile phone operators need to react positively to this move and realise that both consumers and legislators want roaming charges abolished. Any move to pass on their lost earnings to customers must be guarded against and resisted by the European Commission. Roaming charges have been a cash cow for operators for far too long. They cannot simply be allowed to replace that income with a new source of profiteering by increasing other prices.”
Three of the four main mobile phone networks still charge for roaming between the North and the South, with Three announcing at the end of last month it was abolishing the charges.
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