3 UK boss slams extortionate mobile roaming charges

Paul Nebitt

Kevin Russell, the head of mobile network, 3 UK, slammed what he called the 'stupid' costs charged to Brits who try to use their smartphones abroad, which can sometimes reach 400% the equivalent price in the UK.

3 UK CEO, Kevin Russell said that he wants regulators to help put a stop to a practice in which transferring 5GB of data between a phone and network that costs £15 in the UK could end up costing over £6,000 in an EU country for a Brit abroad.

'This is just stupid. I don’t think there’s anyone who can stand up and credibly support this,' said Russell. 'I don’t want customers using 5GB in the UK for £15 in the UK then going over and spending thousands in the EU. It’s just wrong. The rates just now are silly, they need to be addressed and sooner rather than later. Voice roaming is silly, data is ludicrous.'

So why doesn't 3 UK just reduce its prices? Apparently, there are legal obstacles and it requires the cooperation of different mobile and fixed line network operators.

So, Russell wants to start a campaign to lobby EU regulators to end roaming costs.