O2 under fire over hiking peak times

MOBILE phone giant O2 is to extend its peak-rate hours while slashing the amount of time customers can benefit from cheap calls.

From next month most of O2’s 1.1 million pay-as-you-go customers will see peak rates apply for 10 hours of the day instead of eight. This means that the off-peak period, when call rates drop dramatically, will only run for 14 hours instead of 16.

Last night the Consumers’ Association of Ireland (CAI) accused O2 of profiteering, saying the company was introducing a price rise through the back door.