By Emma Lewis, bOnline
On 1st October, Ofcom unveiled new rules which came into immediate effect to help UK citizens avoid nasty surprises when it comes to phone bills while travelling abroad.
The new rules essentially mean that your mobile provider must now send you clear alerts whenever you start roaming. These messages will tell you about any roaming charges that apply, such as daily fees for calls, data or texts, and offer you tips on how to manage your spending.
Furthermore, the rules are designed to help protect customers from something called “inadvertent roaming,” where your phone accidentally connects to a nearby foreign network. This can happen if you’re close to a border with another country for example.
These protections should make it much easier to keep your mobile costs under control while abroad.
How Do These New Rules Help Small Businesses?
The beauty of being a sole trader or freelancer in particular is that often you can work from anywhere. But this makes it even more important to be able to get online and/or make calls without blowing the bank.
Ofcom has said that the new rules will offer greater benefits to small businesses when using mobile phones abroad. As mentioned, one of the big advantages is that they require mobile providers to send clear, personalised alerts whenever someone starts using their phone in another country so there are no surprise bills when they return.
Small businesses, which often have tighter budgets, are expected to benefit from the extra transparency in particular. The alerts can also help small business owners stay within their spending limits by providing tips to reduce costs, such as using WIFI or switching off data roaming when not needed.
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How Can a VoIP Digital Phone System Save Money On International Calls?
A VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) digital phone system can save a lot of money when calling abroad. That’s because sound is transmitted in ‘packets’ over the internet, rather than via traditional phone lines. This means you can avoid hefty international calling charges from your mobile provider or landline. To make and receive calls anywhere in the world, all you need is a stable internet connection – like 4G, 5G or Wifi.
VoIP services also often come with very affordable or even free international calling rates as part of the monthly cost. Whether you’re using it for personal or business calls, switching to VoIP means you can stay connected without worrying about the high cost of long-distance communication. No more counting the minutes!
Another big benefit is that many VoIP systems offer flexible pricing plans, so you can choose a package that suits your needs, such as pay-as-you-go options or unlimited international calls to particular countries. On top of that, VoIP works from pretty much anywhere with an internet connection, so it’s perfect for remote teams or people who travel frequently. Rather than paying roaming charges or international fees, you can simply connect to Wifi and make your calls.
Don’t forget too that from 2027, UK landlines are due to be switched off permanently. This has meant businesses across the country are now looking to VoIP digital phone systems as the main alternative.
If you run a small business in the UK and haven’t made the switch to VoIP yet, time is running out before the landline shutdown! Here at Tech Round it’s a topic we’ve looked at quite a lot, so you might find these articles helpful to get you started:
