‘Single island tariff needed for mobile phone customers’ – Bradley
SDLP Assembly Member for Newry and Armagh Dominic Bradley MLA has called for mobile phone providers on the island of Ireland to introduce a single tariff for customers and stamp out roaming charges for people living in border areas such as Newry and Armagh. Bradley was speaking after an Ofcom report estimated that roaming charges cost customers along the border an additional £300 a year.
Speaking to Newry Times, Bradley said, “People in border communities areas such as Newry and Crossmaglen and the greater South Armagh area are being crippled due to the excessive charges being place on them by mobile phone providers particularly due to the rise in Internet browsing.”
“While people are advised to switch on their data roaming facility, the reality is that many people living in this area don’t even realise that they are ‘roaming’ and have to do this as they haven’t actually crossed the border.”
Bradley insists it is time for mobile phone companies to introduce a single all-island tariff, especially providers such as O2 or Vodafone who operate both North and South and incur no additional cost when customers’ signal switches over the border.
“It is worth noting that Europe has flexed its muscles before and has shown that it can make operators respond positively to requests for change on the issue of roaming charges. We are calling on them to use their influence again to put pressure on the big mobile phone companies in Ireland to introduce a single tariff to help people and businesses operating in border areas.”
He added, “People are find it tough enough to survive in the present economic conditions without being scourged with this extra expenditure and if we are serious about growing the island economy, let’s start by reducing telecommunications costs.”
Boylan welcomes cheaper Internet roaming charges
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