Irish mobile phone users penalised while abroad

IRISH mobile phone users are paying some of the highest prices in the EU when they call home from abroad — but most refuse to switch off or change to cheaper locally-purchased SIM cards.

A survey of more than 24,000 people from all over the EU showed most people are aware they are being ripped off by companies that charge up to €12 for a call, that should only cost the same as a local call plus 20 cent for roaming.

New rules that the European Commission hopes will come into force late next year would force mobile phone companies to reduce the price of calling home from any EU country to a maximum of 49 cent a minute, with receiving a call while abroad costing 16.5 cent per minute.

Ireland has one of the highest numbers of mobile phone owners at 87% and most use prepaid call cards.

This summer more than half went on holiday abroad and only about one in 10 left their phones at home or switched them off, compared to almost one-quarter of British holiday makers.

Less than half restricted themselves to cheaper text messaging or picking up voice messages.

More than one-third said they used the same SIM card and use their phone as often as they do at home adding to the €8.5 billion Europe’s mobile phone companies made from the roaming market last year.

Only 4% bothered to buy a local SIM card and avail of the much cheaper costs of making calls, compared to more than one-quarter of Latvians questioned.

Just over one-third of Irish people said they had a good idea of the cost of making and receiving calls abroad.

The survey also considered the cost for Irish people of making and receiving calls in six EU countries — Finland, France, Italy, Malta, Spain and Britain.

Malta was the most expensive, with a four-minute call costing between €7.12 and €13.16 for those with monthly phone bills and from €2.36 to €11 for those using prepaid phone cards. An Irish holiday maker taking a call from Ireland is charged from €2.76 to €7 depending on the Irish and Maltese operators.

Finland is also a costly destination for Irish visitors making a four-minute call home with charges between €1.92 and €11. Making a call to an Irish phone owner while they are in Finland costs them between €2.76 and €7.