O2 refuses to back Maria Miller’s plan to cap stolen phone bills
CULTURE Secretary Maria Miller plans to cap bills on mobile phones that are lost or stolen at £50 and work with mobile operators to eliminate roaming charges across Europe by 2016.
EE, Three, Virgin Media and Vodafone all joined Miller in support of the plan – that includes a commitment to Ofcom’s ruling in October stopping unexpected mid-contract price rises – leaving operator O2 notably absent from the consensus yesterday.
“We need clarity… before we can sign up to all the commitments… we have been unable to obtain such clarity from government or Ofcom at the time of this publication,” O2 told City A.M.
The regulator responded: “Ofcom recently issued guidance that sets out how communications providers should apply telecoms sector rules. We expect all providers to fully adhere to this guidance.” While Miller’s proposal has been agreed in principle by most operators, negotiations over the exact level of the cap are still ongoing.