Mobile phone contract campaign wins Ofcom support

wireless-150420_1280Drew Hendry, SNP MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey has won crucial support for his campaign for a fairer deal for mobile phone users who suffer from a lack of coverage from the regulating body, Ofcom.

Currently, those who sign up to a mobile phone contract are stuck in that contract for the duration of the term (usually 18-24 months), even when they have poor or no-signal at all. Drew’s campaign aims to allow users to get out of their contract at any time should they have issues with their signal, which Ofcom is now supporting.

Recent changes instituted by Ofcom to the Code of Practice allows broadband and landline users to get out of their contract at any time if the provider fails to provide sufficient reliable service, however this does not apply to mobile phone users. Mr Hendry wrote to the regulator’s Chief Executive, Sharon White asking for support and also Communications Minister Ed Vaizey MP – he is still waiting for a response from the Minister.

Commenting, Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey MP Drew Hendry said:

“As the MP for a largely rural constituency I am delighted to have secured the support from Ofcom for this campaign. Ofcom rightly stepped in to allow broadband and landline users an option of getting out of their contracts if their service drops to an unacceptable level. It is only fair and proper to extend this right to mobile phone contracts and ensure that people are not stuck paying month-in-month-out for a completely useless device.

“The importance of mobile phones in everyday life cannot be understated, they are of course tools for socialising, but they are also a requirement for business, especially small businesses, who simply cannot operate without them.

“The Scottish Government is providing a great amount of support in its goal of making Scotland a ‘world-leading digital nation’ by 2020, however too much of Scotland, especially rural areas suffer from a lack of service.

“Businesses and customers across the country want a better level of service and a better deal. This would be a step towards that. If you don’t have a signal, you shouldn’t have to pay – securing the support from the industry regulator is a huge step in making that a reality.”