COMMUNICATION WATCHDOG OFCOM has said they will support a campaign aimed at giving mobile phone customers the right to cancel contracts where they are receiving a poor service.
The news will be welcomed by Moray residents who have long complained over the poor mobile phone reception in parts of the region – and their feelings of frustration at being able to do nothing about it because they are ‘locked-in’ to contracts, often for two years or more.
A campaign launched by the SNP MP for the neighbouring Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency, Drew Hendry, is behind a promise from Ofcom that mobile phone customers should have similar rights to those recently afforded landline customers, who can already get out of contracts where poor service is being provided.
Mr 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.”