UK government tells telecoms to do more to protect customers

• UK Government wants telecoms firms to present pricing more clearly
• BT/EE, VMO2, Vodafone Three, Sky and TalkTalk all included in talks
• 5G SA and gigabit broadband for many by 2030 and 2032

UK Government ministers are urging telecoms firms to improve communication with customers around pricing to protect them from unfair or unexpected price rises.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Technology Secretary Liz Kendall stressed that customers under contract should not face price rises beyond those that they have signed up to, and that legacy customers should also be exposed to the new pounds and pence price hike messaging rather than the previous percentage system.

Industry leaders have been invited to a roundtable with the ministers to discuss how to better support customers before any concrete plans are put in place.

Telecoms companies must make price details clearer

The letter was addressed to BT/EE, VirginMedia O2, Vodafone Three, Sky and TalkTalk, and comes off the back of a letter to Ofcom welcoming the watchdog’s effort to improve transparency around in-contract price presentation.

Kendall also opened the floor up to ideas on how to achieve greater transparency around billing details, similar to how utilities bills get itemized.

“When we meet them shortly, I expect company bosses to put forward clear plans to shield Brits from unexpected price rises and improve their customer communications,” Tech Secretary Liz Kendall wrote.

“Customers should feel confident that they’re getting a fair deal,” Reeves added.

The Government isn’t expecting telecoms companies to keep price hikes to a minimum for free, though. In return, it intends to “invest in the infrastructure we all rely on and ensure even more people across the country can enjoy improved connectivity and access to digital services.”

As well as protecting customers, telecoms firms have a responsibility to help the UK realize its 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy, which includes providing access to 5G SA to all populated areas by 2030 and connecting 99% of premises to gigabit connections by 2032.

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