Brexit will not lead to a hike in mobile phone roaming charges Says

Brexit will not lead to a hike in mobile phone roaming – Britons are unlikely to face steep charges for using their mobiles on the continent after Brexit, the head of Europe’s biggest mobile operator has said.

Vittorio Colao, the chief executive of Vodafone, which operates networks in Germany, Spain and Italy as well as the UK, said claims that Britain’s decision to leave the European Union will lead to the reintroduction of large bills for calls and texts from abroad were “not very logical”.

Speaking at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Mr Colao said: “We treat Switzerland, which is not part of the EU, as part of it so why would we not treat the UK that way?”

The EU has gradually forced mobile operators to cut lucrative roaming charges in recent years as it has sought to create a single market in the telecoms industry. The fees are due to be abolished entirely in June.

Since the EU referendum, anti-Brexit politicians have raised fears that Britons face a return of heavy charges when traveling.

A committee of MEPs said this month that the EU’s roaming rules will “no longer apply with respect to the UK, impacting business and other travellers to and from the UK” and that “transitional arrangements will be necessary”. Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, claimed mobile bills would be an example of Brexit “hitting consumers in the pocket”.

Mr Colao, one of the most senior figures in the global telecoms industry, said it was unlikely European operators would seek to renegotiate reciprocal terms for providing services to British travellers. Commercial concerns rather than regulatory changes or trade negotiations are likely to determine how mobile operators serve visitors to their networks.

Mr Colao said: “It depends on where market dynamics go, but I don’t think it is very logical to think that [charges will increase]. We have been including roaming in price packages even before the regulations so why would that change?

“I think in the end the UK will be part of the system. Essentially, telecom rules and regulations in the UK are aligned to the European ones so the same rules will probably determine the same treatment.”