Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 13 February 2020 (HL 605), what legislation is now in force to ensure mobile phone operators apply a financial limit on mobile data usage while users are abroad; what are those limits, and what powers they have if any UK mobile provider gives notice to its customers that it intends to levy excess charges.

The Mobile Roaming (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 is the legislation in force to ensure mobile operators apply a financial limit on mobile data usage while users are abroad. The limit on data usage abroad is £45, which means a consumer cannot spend more than £45 unless they actively consent to continue spending over this cap.

The communications regulator Ofcom has powers to set out the instances where UK mobile providers are required to give notice of price changes. Ofcom’s General Conditions set out that providers should give notice not shorter than one month of any modifications likely to be of material detriment and allow its customers to withdraw from their contracts without penalty upon such notice.