On Wednesday 11 February, the Chancellor and the Technology Secretary Liz Kendall hosted a roundtable with the UK’s biggest telecoms providers including BT, Virgin Media O2, VodafoneThree, Sky and TalkTalk. As part of the roundtable, new voluntary Telecoms Consumer Charter was agreed between government and major broadband and mobile providers.
Under the commitments in the charter, customers will know exactly what they’ll be paying when they sign up for a new mobile or broadband deal – with no unexpected price rises midway through a contract. Customers will be given clear information on any future price changes up front, so the price they sign up to is the price they can expect to pay. Providers also committed to help those in financial difficulty move to cheaper plans without penalty.
The Charter is backed by BT, Virgin Media O2, VodafoneThree, Sky and TalkTalk, and supported by industry bodies including ISPA - CCUK’s sister organisation, and INCA, with DSIT presenting it as part of its wider cost of living response and its drive for a pro‑investment regulatory environment. For CCUK members offering broadband and IP based voice, the commitments strengthen expectations around transparent, predictable retail pricing and targeted support for vulnerable customers, including for bundles where VoIP and other over‑the‑top communications are central to the package.