Issued by: HM Treasury and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Government calls on the sector to reinforce its commitment to treating customers fairly.

• More must be done to ensure hardworking consumers do not face price rises they have not signed up to, senior ministers urge

• Reeves and Kendall invite Telecoms CEOs in for talks in Whitehall

• Firms urged to improve communications with consumers

It is clear that more needs to be done to protect consumers so that ordinary people feel empowered when engaging with the sector and confident they are getting a good deal, the Chancellor and Technology Secretary have told telecoms company bosses.

Writing to BT/EE, VirginMedia O2, Vodafone Three, Sky, and Talk Talk [https://shorturl.at/nSlWO], the government has called on the sector to reinforce its commitment to treating customers fairly, including by confirming customers under contract will not face price rises beyond those that they signed up to. Ms Reeves and Ms Kendall have also requested that proactive steps be taken to move legacy customers onto the pounds and pence approach for price communications with no impact on the timing of planned price increases.

The ministers will shortly convene a roundtable with industry leaders to discuss further industry action to support telecoms customers, as well as areas that government can do more to enable the sector to drive investment in the UK’s digital infrastructure. This follows the Technology Secretary writing to Ofcom on the issue earlier this month [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/protecting-telecoms-consumers-and-driving-down-inflationary-costs-letter-from-dsit-secretary-of-state-to-ofcom].

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

"Customers should feel confident that they’re getting a fair deal, that’s why we’re calling on the industry to put fairness first – to be honest and upfront about what people will pay and keeping price rises in line with what customers signed up to.

"That’s how we build greater trust and a more stable environment for these companies to invest in the UK’s digital infrastructure."

Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said:

"Mobile and broadband bills are an essential, everyday cost for millions of us across the country. But it is clear to me that companies need to do more to protect their consumers – loyal customers who rely on these services to run businesses and stay in touch with loved ones.

"When we meet them shortly, I expect company bosses to put forward clear plans to shield Brits from unexpected price rises and improve their customer communications.

"But we know this must be a collaborative effort. Working together, we want to support industry to invest in the infrastructure we all rely on and ensure even more people across the country can enjoy improved connectivity and access to digital services."

This government knows the telecoms sector is fundamental to the success of the UK’s economy and has set out a long-term approach to supporting digital infrastructure, underpinned by our 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-infrastructure-a-10-year-strategy]. Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to standalone 5G by 2030, delivered by commercial investment. We also want 99% of premises to have access to a gigabit-capable connection by 2032. We know that this must be a collaborative effort. The commitments that industry has made through the Digital Inclusion Action Plan [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-inclusion-action-plan-first-steps], and wider efforts, such as the provision of the lower cost social tariffs are vital in supporting vulnerable and digitally excluded consumers.

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