Connectivity / More travellers bemoan ferry roaming charges as Ofcom considers response
MORE SHETLANDERS have reported facing roaming charges from other mobile networks on ferry journeys to and from Aberdeen.
EE and Vodafone have also been accused of trying to charge people for roaming outside the UK while making the short trip between Lerwick and Aberdeen.
It comes after Shetland News reported last week that iD Mobile had charged one teenager an extra £150 for using her phone during three journeys earlier this year.
iD Mobile said it would “strongly recommend” that its customers travelling between Shetland, Aberdeen and Orkney should not use mobile data during the journey, advising passengers to “put it into flight mode until you get to shore”.
That led Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael to write to communications regulator Ofcom over the “bizarre” roaming charges, urging them to “challenge this vigorously”.
Following the story last week, Shetland News was contacted by a number of people who reported they had also been charged roaming rates – or warned they had left the UK and would be charged extra.
EE texted one person that they would be charged more if they used mobile data while they were on the ferry, leading to the customer to challenge the roaming response.
However EE told them their phone was likely to switch to a “non-UK network such as Norwegian or Faroese roaming” because the ferry travelled so far out into the North Sea.
“Please check your roaming charges or consider using Wi-Fi onboard to avoid unexpected costs,” EE said.
“Once out of UK range, your phone will search for the nearest available network, which could be in Norway, the Faroe Islands, or other nearby countries.”
After last week’s story, some people commented on social media about the lack of available Wi-Fi aboard the NorthLink ferries, particularly when the ships are at sea.
However the ferry operator said earlier this year that it had improved its onboard online offering, with a switch to the satellite firm Starlink.
Joanne Williams, who spoke to Shetland News about her daughter’s experience last week, said she had never faced the roaming charges herself with provider Vodafone.
But one Vodafone customer did contact Shetland News to say they had received numerous texts while on the NorthLink ferries advising them they would have to pay roaming charges for using their phone.
Vodafone told the customer in the texts – which they said they had received seven times over the space of eight months – that they were in international waters.
They advised them that “mobile data costs are high here” and told them to switch to local Wi-Fi before doing anything that would use a lot of data.
The customer said there may have been other occasions they would have received the same text if they had not put their phone into airplane mode.
However, they added they “shouldn’t have to” do this to avoid paying exorbitant costs for using their phone on the service.
Ofcom is currently considering a response to MP Carmichael’s letter, with a reply due shortly.
A spokesperson for the telecommunications regulator said that “charges can be different when you’re on a ferry or a cruise”.
“Mobile phones used in coastal areas or at sea might not be able to connect to UK land-based networks and may instead seek out the ship’s satellite connection. This could mean higher charges.
“Before you sail, speak to your provider.”
It advised customers to consider manually selecting a preferred network on their phone to avoid satellite connections.
However, it said this would mean they would not receive calls or texts when out of range of their selected network.
Under Ofcom rules, mobile providers must notify customers when they start roaming and provide clear information about the charges that will apply when they use data in these areas.
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