The £85,000 World Cup phone bill

Tuesday, 23 May 2006 12:00

England fans using their mobile phones in Germany this summer could be charged a whopping £85,000 a minute to make calls, new research shows.

Data from Moneysupermarket.com shows that calling from Germany to the UK could cost the estimated 100,000 England fans following their team as much as 85 pence a minute.

This adds up to a bill of £59.50 for a ten-minute call home after each game, assuming England make the semis.

Pay-as-you-go customers are worst hit, being charged anywhere from 75 to 120 pence a minute to call home.

And it is not just making calls that sees England fans pay a financial penalty - receiving calls while overseas can cost as much as 94 pence a minute.

"The high cost of making and receiving mobile calls whilst abroad may mean customers are reluctant to use their phone, yet with the jubilation of the World Cup, those enjoying the games in the host country may wish to stay in touch with their loved ones at home," said Robert Kenley, head of mobiles at Moneysupermarket.

"Some providers will be cutting charges and this is certainly a bonus for mobile phone users yet it is only T-Mobile customers who will reap the benefits in time for the World Cup."

Vodafone has said it will slash the cost of calling in non-home EU countries by 40 per cent by April next year.

T-Mobile is also planning to reduce the cost of calling when abroad, launching a new service charging a flat fee for calls in 29 European countries, the US, and Canada.

Deutsche Telekom, who own T-Mobile, said it would launch the new service in June, charging 55 pence a minute to make and receive calls.

But there are other options open to footy fans looking to phone home, or simply keep in touch with one another while in Germany.

Fans can buy an overseas SIM card before leaving the UK, and use this while abroad. These can be used in existing phones and significantly reduce the cost of calling from abroad, but cost around £30 to buy in the first place.

The safest plan to avoid a shock when the mobile phone bill arrives is to check the fine print in your contract before travelling.

Click here to use MyFinances comparison tool to find out if you are on the best-value mobile rate.

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