broadband news

3UK bans mobile downloads while abroad

In a bid to curb rising bad publicity about huge mobile broadband bills run up abroad, 3Uk ban it altogether Story: The cost of downloading whilst abroad is big news. The Sunday Times recently reported that Hutchinson Whampoa's 3UK unit has banned people from using their UK mobile broadband accounts whilst abroad. 3UK are understandably eager to appear responsible and save their customer's money but are also keen to avoid any further bad press on this topic. The trouble is, mobile broadband is now so easily accessible and such an attractive proposition that people forget to consider their bill and just start downloading.

Recent stories like that of the business woman's wife who ran up an £11,000 mobile broadband bill for downloading four episodes of Friends are a case in point of the potential dangers of mobile broadband abroad. Her husband's unlimited mobile broadband package from Vodaphone, allowed her to download freely and the programmes were still downloading when her husband left for a business trip to Germany. 3UK are building in some protection to their mobile broadband package by making it necessary for customers to specifically opt in to their mobile broadband package when going abroad.

The mobile broadband operator will also impose a credit limit on opted in accounts to confer further protection against big mobile broadband bills. The protection covers people with mobile broadband as part of their bundle but not those who just use their phone to send texts when their abroad. The action of 3UK should help cut down on the rising bad press about huge mobile broadband bills. It will also work in conjunction with the European Union initiatives where regulators are trying to cut down on mobile broadband data roaming prices when abroad.

22/07/2008
Author: CompareBroadbandUK staff writer

Next broadband news story

In-flight broadband is taking off
- No more switching off your laptop on the plane – broadband is finally due to conquer the skies.
22/07/2008

Read all our broadband news stories

Sign up to our broadband newsletterStay updated with our free broadband and mobile broadband newsletter.