Football fans face bills for ‘phantom calls’ despite lack of coverage

IRISH soccer fans who attended the recent World Cup qualifier in France may get billed for “phantom” calls, despite being without mobile phone coverage for most of last weekend.

The country’s largest mobile phone operator, Vodafone, has confirmed there were network problems prior to the general collapse of the phone system in Paris last Saturday afternoon.

The problem related to calls made by supporters to other Irish mobile phone numbers which appeared to be answered but which did not enable people to speak to each other.