18/07/2012
£300-A-Year Costs For Border Mobile Phone Users
The communications markets regulator has said customers in border counties are paying out £300 a year in roaming charges by accidentally using the signal of Republic of Ireland companies.
Ofcom found the worst areas for accidental roaming were south Armagh, south Down and east and north County Londonderry.
In south Armagh, 30% of people surveyed said it happens them every day.
Roaming incurs expensive charges, especially for using internet and data, and can happen especially when phones are near water as signal travels best when there are no buildings in the way.
The problem can be avoiding by manually locking into a home network, turning roaming data off on a phone, and possibly changing tariff.
But Ofcom found most people do not know how to avoid the problem, and instead are likely to avoid using their phone as much as they would like to.
Jonathan Rose of Ofcom Northern Ireland said the body would write to mobile companies to find out what they will do to tackle the problem.
A new European Roaming Regulation requires mobile operators to take 'reasonable steps' to protect their customers from accidental roaming charges.
(NE)
Ofcom found the worst areas for accidental roaming were south Armagh, south Down and east and north County Londonderry.
In south Armagh, 30% of people surveyed said it happens them every day.
Roaming incurs expensive charges, especially for using internet and data, and can happen especially when phones are near water as signal travels best when there are no buildings in the way.
The problem can be avoiding by manually locking into a home network, turning roaming data off on a phone, and possibly changing tariff.
But Ofcom found most people do not know how to avoid the problem, and instead are likely to avoid using their phone as much as they would like to.
Jonathan Rose of Ofcom Northern Ireland said the body would write to mobile companies to find out what they will do to tackle the problem.
A new European Roaming Regulation requires mobile operators to take 'reasonable steps' to protect their customers from accidental roaming charges.
(NE)
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14 February 2006
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08 February 2006
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Mobile Phone Company O2 has today announced that it is to abolish roaming charges for mobile phone users living close to the border. This means that from April this year, the 1.6 million O2 customers can travel across the border without being charged more to make or receive calls.
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31 October 2011
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Low speed broadband, poor strength mobile phone signal, dropped calls and international roaming charges are now all in focus at the University of Ulster.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A sunny but frosty start for many. However cloud increases by midday with a few showers reaching the north coast, these mostly light but spreading inland this afternoon. Chilly. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A rather cloudy evening with scattered showers. Becoming drier through the night with some good clear spells developing and a patchy frost away from coasts. Minimum temperature 0 °C.