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.