UK mobile networks will have to inform their customers if they are going to incur charges when making calls, sending texts or using data while abroad, according to plans from the regulator.
Ofcom wishes to make individuals aware of potential charges that could incur when roaming - making calls, sending texts or using data abroad outside the UK.
It is estimated that one out of every five individuals are unaware that they might incur fees while travelling.
Customers must be informed of any steps they can take to restrict roaming-related costs under the proposed system.
Consumer organisations declare that phone users in Britain are being charged in excess of £500 million annually.
According to Ofcom, using a mobile phone while abroad can cost approximately £2 per day from certain networks.
They have declared that they will reach a conclusion regarding the new regulations in 2024, and will allot mobile companies six months in order to execute them.
In 2017, the European Union (EU) prohibited roaming charges, and despite the UK having voted to leave in the preceding year, the policy still applied to Britons travelling to the EU while the details of the UK's withdrawal were being discussed.
Once a Brexit agreement was eventually agreed upon, an extension on the prohibition of roaming fees in the EU was not included for British cellular phone customers, so UK companies were allowed to reintroduce them starting in January 2021.
The UK decided against putting into place legislation requiring firms to alert consumers if they would face fees for roaming.
Three, EE and Vodafone have all brought back roaming fees for their customers travelling to the EU from 2022, while O2 has stated that customers are allowed to use up to 25GB of data each month without incurring a charge.
Ernest Doku, Uswitch's mobiles expert, declared to the BBC that the comparison site is a fervent proponent of Ofcom's proposal.
He declared that little to no regulatory safeguards exist for shoppers when their phones are used outside of their country to make phone calls, send texts, or use data.
Roaming charges can now be extremely high and consumers are in danger of facing a large unforeseen bill that could have serious repercussions.
The results of our research suggest that UK consumers have been charged a remarkable £539m for unexpected roaming in the last year.
Ofcom also wants companies to alert people when they could potentially experience "inadvertent roaming" - connecting to a foreign mobile network when using their phone in the UK.
Although not typical for most of mainland Britain, people in Northern Ireland, particularly near the border, can sometimes use networks in the Republic of Ireland; likewise, some residents on the south coast may have access to networks in France.
The Consumer Council for Northern Ireland revealed that 22% of consumers in the nation had endured unintended roaming.
Ofcom has proposed the adoption of particular rates, and even necessitating networks to "treat mobile usage in Ireland as if it were in the UK". It remarked that certain networks are already doing this.
Cristina Luna-Esteban, Ofcom director of telecoms consumer protection, stated that these alerts would prevent any mobile users from being unaware of their roaming charges and any steps they can take to keep their costs under control.
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