Mobile roaming will not be protected in no-deal Brexit - UK minister

Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings

07/02/2019 11:09

LONDON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - British tourists could see the
return of expensive mobile roaming charges when they go on
holiday the day after Britain leaves the European Union in the
event of a no-deal Brexit, Digital Minister Jeremy Wright said
on Thursday.
    "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 European Union', that cannot prevent European
mobile network operating companies charging UK mobile network
operating companies money," he told lawmakers.
    "Now 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 provided services
to 85 percent of British consumers had said they would not bring
back roaming charges for travel in the European Union.
    

 (Reporting by Paul Sandle. Editing by Andrew MacAskill)
 ((paul.sandle@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 6843; Reuters
Messaging: paul.sandle.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))