Authorities claims Brexit victory as simply two networks cancel new EU roaming prices

The federal government has claimed a Brexit victory after one cell phone community agency declined to impose new roaming prices on journey to the EU.

The fees had been abolished by the EU in 2017, however Boris Johnson’s Brexit commerce deal failed to keep up the perk of membership.

Some Brexiteers stated there was no prospect of the fees returning, however most networks have re-imposed them.

The exceptions are O2 and Virgin Media, that are each owned by the identical firm and say they don’t intend to reimpose the fees. Different networks had stated the identical however have since reversed course.

The federal government, which has struggled to current many concrete advantages from its Brexit coverage, seized on the information as a victory.

Boris Johnson stated on Monday: “I welcome the choice by Virgin Media and O2 to maintain roaming free, that means UK residents can nonetheless use their cell information, calls and texts throughout Europe with no additional prices.”

Tradition secretary Nadine Dorries, an ardent Brexiteer, provided her “respect” to the 2 corporations.

She added: “We proposed to the European Fee that sustaining surcharge free cell roaming be a part of Brexit negotiations. They rejected that.”

However Steve Friends, a professor of of European Legislation on the College of Essex, stated the declare was an “overstatement”.

Citing UK authorities draft negotiating paperwork from February 2020, he identified that “the UK proposed merely to debate roaming prices three years later” after the deal got here into pressure.