It has recently been announced that OFCOM, the telecoms regulator has plans to cut the cost of mobile phone calls. Mobile termination rates, which is basically what you as a caller gets charged for calling mobile to mobile between different networks, or from landline to mobile networks. The rates are approximately 4.3 pence per minute at the moment, but OFCOM wish this to be lowered to 0.5pence per minute by 2014.
They are hoping these cuts will save customers around 800 million pounds the following year (2015) but Vodafone think differently. They believe these cuts will force the networks to actually increase charges elsewhere to recoup losses made on these calls. One example they gave was for light users of the mobile phone, on a pay as you go tariff. They have said that these people may get charged higher costs or even a monthly fee if they do not use the phone so often.
This means that lower income families who may only have mobile phone for emergency calls will find that they have to spend more money every month, money they can’t actually afford. It also means that handset prices will have to increase, monthly tariffs on contract deals may also raise. Vodafone feels consumers will feel absolutely no benefit at all from OFCOMs proposed changes.
So for those who are considering saving some money on their mobile phones, and taking advantage of any offers available right now, log on to shoppingvouchers.co.uk and do a quick search of your current (or any) mobile phone service provider and see what’s going.
There are currently some great deals to be found with T-Mobile both for pay monthly contracts, and pay as you go deals. Like free texts for life when you top up with just £10.00 a month. This offer is ongoing, but if you are anything like me who spends a fortune each month texting, get in there now, start saving immediately.
