O2 to reduce cross-border roaming charges

Mobile Phone Company O2 has today announced that it is to abolish roaming charges for mobile phone users living close to the border.

This means that from April this year, the 1.6 million O2 customers can travel across the border without being charged more to make or receive calls.

In addition, pre-pay customers will pay a new flat rate of 39 cent for calls

and texts made in Northern Ireland and back to the Republic of Ireland.

Irish numbers and Northern Ireland landline numbers will be charged at this new flat rate and there is to be no set up fee or subscription charge.

Similarly O2 Ireland post-pay customers will not be charged for calls they receive while roaming in Northern Ireland.

The price post-pay customers will pay for calls they make while in Northern Ireland, but they will be the same as their domestic rate; depending on what price plan they are on.

This is an opt-in service, but there is no set up fee or subscription charge.

Speaking at the launch, Danuta Gray, CEO O2 Ireland said: “At O2 our primary focus is listening to what our customer’s need and adjusting our services to meet those needs. Our customers have told us that it makes no sense to pay roaming charges while making calls on the island of Ireland. This is particularly important to our customers who live and work near the border, many of whom have had to endure inadvertent roaming charges. Having listened carefully to this feedback, we are delighted to abolish roaming charges on the island of Ireland for our 1.6 million customers."

She added that the elimination of roaming charges would help business customers by reducing costs of doing business with the UK, therefore improving their ability to be more competitive and successful.

Ms Gray concluded by saying that by taking the lead in eliminating these roaming charges O2 have engaged with both the regulators and the Governments in Ireland and the UK as part of their ongoing commitment to cost-effective mobile communications across the island of Ireland.

The European Commissioner for Information, Society and Media, Viviane Reding, is currently examining roaming charges and has proposed get-tough plans to cap mobile charges at a level equivalent to a inter-network call.

(EF/SP)