Sinn Féin MLA Chris Hazzard has welcomed news from Ofcom that following recent campaigning by himself and Newry & Mourne Cllr Mickey Ruane, various mobile phone companies have started to implement changes to their tariffs to accommodate South Down customers.
Speaking at Stormont following an update from Ofcom, the South Down MLA said: “I want to thank Ofcom for continuing to chase the issue on behalf of South Down customers who continue to be faced with either communication blackout or expensive bills as a result of inadvertent roaming charges.
“Myself and Cllr Ruane met with Ofcom officials last year at Stormont in an effort to put pressure on the mobile phone companies who were profiteering on the back of rural isolation and connectivity difficulties across large parts of South Down. So it’s fantastic that some of the companies involved have now begun to roll-out fairer tariffs that take into account these difficulties.”
Cllr Mickey Ruane added: “This is an issue that is consistently raised with representatives in the Newry and Mourne area so it’s very positive news indeed that some companies have heeded the call for a common-sense approach.
“I would urge customers to look seriously at the tariffs they are paying with their current provider and have the confidence to switch if a better deal is available. Too often people are reluctant to switch and they persist to pay way over the odds. Hopefully now they can see that paying considerably less is really worth the switch.”
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