Mobile phone users face higher monthly bills after Ofcom TREBLES

Wacha1 · Sep 25, 2015

Millions of mobile phone users face higher monthly bills after Ofcom TREBLES the fee for using 3G and 4G networks

Independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries (Ofcom) announces mobile phone operators should pay £199.6 million a year
The annual charge gives operators access to 2G, 3G and 4G networks
It is more than three times the current fee, sparking fears over rising bills

Millions of people could see their monthly mobile phone bills rise after the industry regulator dramatically

increased the annual charge paid by operators like O2 and Vodafone

Ofcom announced today that the mobile phone operators should pay £199.6 million a year for the 2G, 3G and 4G networks.

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The figure is more than three times the current fee, sparking fears that operators will simply pass the extra cost onto customers.

The largest network provider, EE, has already indicated it will not be able to offer ‘the best prices' as a result of the change.
of people could see their monthly mobile phone bills rise after the industry regulator dramatically increased the annual charge paid by operators like O2 and Vodafone. 
Others did not deny that they could decide to increase charges. Millions 
But Ofcom said providers had had five years' warning to budget for the increase and should not need to pass on the cost to customers.

Vodafone and O2 will see their fees more than triple from £15.6 million a year to £49.8 million, while EE's charges will rise from £24.9 million to £75 million. Three's will change from £8.3 million to £25 million.Half the increase will be payable from October 31 and the second half a year later, with full fees payable annually from that point.EE, which runs EE, T-Mobile and Orange, said Ofcom had ‘got this wrong' and the fee change was based on a ‘flawed approach'.A spokesman for the company said: ‘The trebling of fees is bad news for British consumers and businesses as it raises the risk that we won't be able to offer the best prices, and invest and innovate at the pace we and our customers would like.'EE said it was ‘very disappointed' Ofcom had not taken into account the higher costs providers took on after agreeing to Government proposals to improve coverage.Other providers did not rule out price rises. Asked whether it would increase charges following the change, an O2 spokesman said: ‘We're examining the decision in detail before deciding how best to proceed.'

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Vodafone and O2 will see their fees more than triple from £15.6 million a year to £49.8 million, Ofcom announced today

A Vodafone spokesman said: ‘We will be reviewing Ofcom's proposed spectrum fees … they represent a significant increase when we are already investing around £1billion on our network and services this year.' Three other providers refused to comment.

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Ofcom denied the claim that consumers could end up with higher bills. ‘The operators have had five years' notice … we expect them to have budgeted for this,' a spokesman said. ‘The fees … are in line with analysts' expectations and with the amounts that operators pay for accessing spectrum in other countries.'

But David Hickson, of the Fair Telecoms Campaign, said: ‘Ofcom have arguments for saying there is no good reason why [the cost] should be passed on. But it seems as likely as one plus one making two that the mobile phone operators are going to pass this on.‘What [the new fee] is not going to do is help anyone in areas where there is poor or no coverage … people are going to pay more for what coverage there already is.'The price comparison site cable.co.uk said it was fair for providers to pay for extra but warned the money 'has to come from somewhere'.Dan Howdle, the site's telecoms spokesman, said: 'There can be absolutely no doubt as to the fairness of simply ensuring the UK's mobile network providers pay a fair price for what is absolutely a finite resource.'But, of course, the money has to come from somewhere. And while, on paper, O2, Vodafone, Three and EE appear in arguably rude health from the perspective of their announced operating profits earlier this year, behind closed doors they are unlikely be happy to see their war chest diminished.'That Ofcom is 'phasing in' the move to a yearly lump-sum payment for the licence fees will make it especially difficult to detect when, if and how these costs will be passed on to consumers, either directly or indirectly via the fees paid by mobile virtual network operators such as Virgin Mobile and giffgaff to piggyback their network infrastructure.'

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Regulator wa simu za mkononi wa Tanzania yuko wapi? Au ndio basi amemwachia Jambazi sugu afanye anavyotaka?

Milindi · Sep 25, 2015

Nimeangalia Price za 4G LTE za tigo nimechoka,Ngoja tusubiri TTCL December tuone itakuwaje

Oscar Amedeus · Sep 27, 2015

TTCL mko wapi mtuokoeeee?

Wacha1 · Oct 17, 2015

Wacha pombe aingie afagie haka kaJambazi Sugu na peremende zake.

Mobile phone users face higher monthly bills after Ofcom TREBLES

Wacha1

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Milindi

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Oscar Amedeus

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Wacha1

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