North West Correspondent
The prospect of having to pay mobile phone roaming charges post Brexit is
becoming a concern for people living in border counties like Donegal.
Since June 2017 when the European Union scrapped additional charges for roaming
on smartphones in other EU countries people in border counties, where signals
roam in and out regularly, have not had to worry about big mobile bills
however, the House of Commons was told that phone companies could introduce
roaming charges post Brexit if they want to.
If the UK leaves with a deal, EU rules on roaming will apply until the end of
the transition period. If there is no deal, Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright
said mobile operators will be able to implement roaming charges if they want
to, but he said, the UK government would legislate for a limit of £45 a month
charges for mobile data used abroad.
He also stated that operators covering 85% of subscribers have said that they
have no current plans to change their current approach to roaming after Brexit.
In areas like Inishowen the possibility of higher mobile phone bills is adding
to the stress and uncertainty surrounding Brexit.
Trish Hegarty, who runs Inis Communications in Stroove, says it is already
difficult enough operating a business in a border area without the worry that
Brexit will add to the cost of her business. Prior to EU regulation on roaming
charges she had to have two phones, one UK and one Irish because the Irish
signal runs out close to her house and much of her work is in the North and
London. It was awkward and costly and not a scenario she wants to return to.
Nearby, Josephine and Michael Mulhall run a structural steel and cladding
company in Greencastle and currently about half of their work is in the north.
Prior to EU regulation they were paying very high bills for their business
mobile, anything between â¬600 to â¬900 a month compared to an average of
â¬180 a month now. Josephine says that everything about Brexit is worrying
now but they still have no idea what is going to happen. She does not want to
return to the way things were with roaming charges, but says whatever happens
businesses like theirâs will have to deal with it.
===========================================================
The fb-exchange mailing list
Manage account, subscribe or unsubscribe:
//www.freelists.org/list/fb-exchange
Archives: //www.freelists.org/archives/fb-exchange ;
Administrative contact: insight@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
===========================================================
