EE Limited

• The expanded scope of this initiative will enable Qualitest to provide an enhanced and comprehensive blend of services that will help BT accelerate their strategic roadmap.
• Qualitest began its partnership with Orange, which merged with T-Mobile to become EE, who were acquired by BT in 2016.
• The scope of the new project covers testing aspects of BT's mobile network, supporting over 30 million connections.
• Qualitest leverages domain expertise across industries, including financial services, media and entertainment, retail, consumer goods, technology, gaming, telecom, among others.

• This solution enables Orange Romania to provide their customers with an unmatched Quality of Customer Experience for network coverage, on a daily basis and wherever they might be - even indoor.
• The EQual One SDK empowers the Android MyOrange mobile app - anonymously and after end-user opt-in - with network quality measurements that reflect the performance of the network as experienced by the customers, as well as the data accessibility.
• The EQual One technology enables us to constantly improve the Orange network in line with our customer needs," comments Yves Martin, Chief Marketing Officer at Orange Romania.
• Thanks to the integration of EQual One into the MyOrange mobile app, Orange truly empowers their customers who become co-creators of network optimization and planning because every Customer Experience matters".

House of Commons Library

Mobile roaming in a 'no deal' Brexit

Currently, UK mobile customers can travel to the EU and use their domestic allowance of minutes, text messages and data without incurring additional charges (subject to conditions such as fair use). What would happen to mobile roaming charges in a no-deal Brexit?

What is mobile roaming?

• Mobile roaming refers to when a mobile customer travels abroad and continues to use their home mobile service.
• Until 2017 most mobile operators charged customers additional fees for using the service abroad.
• For surcharge-free roaming to be commercially viable for operators, EU regulations set limits on the wholesale roaming charges mobile operators can charge each other.

Surcharge-free roaming would not be guaranteed in a no-deal Brexit

• If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, then surcharge-free roaming in the EEA would not be guaranteed.
• The Mobile Roaming (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 would come into force on exit day and remove the current requirement for UK mobile operators to provide surcharge-free roaming in the EEA.
• The Government states that this is necessary because the UK would no longer be part of the regulatory system for harmonised wholesale roaming charges across the EU.

Mobile operators may offer free roaming voluntarily

• Mobile operators may choose to continue to offer surcharge free roaming after Brexit despite not being under a legal obligation to do so.
• Government guidance on mobile roaming after Brexit stated that as of April 2019 the four major UK mobile network operators (EE, O2, Vodafone and Three) had all stated that they had no current plans to change their approach to mobile roaming after the UK leaves the EU.
• Notwithstanding, there have been calls for the Government to seek binding commitments from mobile operators to continue to offer surcharge-free roaming and there are arguments that a trade deal with the EU that secures an agreement on surcharge-free roaming would provide certainty for consumers and operators.

What should consumers travelling to the EU do?

• Because surcharge free roaming cannot be guaranteed, after Brexit consumers travelling to the EU will need to check the roaming policies of their mobile operator before they go abroad.
• Customers should also understand their rights to switch mobile operators and exit a contract, including what charges may apply.
• The gov.uk page Mobile roaming after EU Exit (9 April 2019) provides information on how mobile roaming charges may be affected by a no deal Brexit and includes advice for consumers.

What about calls from the UK to the EU?

• Phone calls from the UK to the EU are not technically roaming because the customer is at home, not abroad.
• As of 15 May 2019, consumer phone calls and text messages within the EU (both mobile and land line) including from a customers home country, are capped at no more than 0.19 per minute for calls and 0.06 per SMS (plus VAT).
• In a no-deal Brexit, UK telecoms companies would not be legally required to maintain the capped charges; secondary legislation has been passed that would repeal the legislation that imposes the capped charges in the UK on exit day.

Further reading

Government guidance: Mobile roaming after EU Exit (9 April 2019)

• The "Hong Kong - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
• The report analyses the Telecoms Infrastructure, Mobile, Fixed Broadband, Digital Media and Digital Economy sectors.
• Hong Kong expects the territory to be among the world's earliest adopters of 5G mobile technology in 2020.
• Data centres and smart Infrastructure;
  Internet of Things, 5G developments - Mobile, broadband and mobile broadband forecasts from 2023-4.