Many Brits are unaware of the financial risks of using their mobile phone to browse the internet, a survey from thinkbroadband.com has found.
Over 1,000 mobile phone users were surveyed and 43 per cent admitted they don’t check their bill at the end of the month and 20 per cent are unaware of their mobile download usage allowance.
This is in spite of 58 per cent claiming that when they access the internet on the move, it is via their mobile phone rather than any other device.
With the mobile phone swiftly becoming the most popular way of accessing the internet, consumers need to become wise to the possible financial implications of not keeping an eye on the extra charges that could be hitting them each month.
Sebastien Lahtinen, co-founder of thinkbroadband.com, the independent broadband news and information site that ran the survey comments, “The results of this survey highlight why, since the rise in popularity of smartphones over the past couple of years, many Brits are experiencing financial headaches over their mobile phone bills.
“It is important to make sure you have a data bundle to suit your needs. Providers can offer a number of different packages to coincide with the amount of internet you will be using. A warning if you go outside the EU; you could end up with a very large bill simply for sending a few photos and updating Facebook. Most of all it is important to monitor your bills each month to ensure you are not paying over the odds for the amount of data you are using.”
Advice from thinkbroadband:
• If your mobile phone connects to the Internet, make sure you have an inclusive data bundle or a package with a capped rate for Internet access. Most current mobile phones can connect to the Internet, whether it’s just to update the weather forecast or download apps—you don’t have to browse the web to be using up data.
• Watch your usage. You can download applications which help to track your data usage, or you may be able to log on to your network operator’s website to find out how much data you are using.
• If you’re worried, switch off data. Turn off data on your mobile phone if you are concerned, especially if you’re going abroad; although the European regulation means that you will be better protected than before when travelling within the EU, this does not apply when you are travelling further afield.
www.thinkbroadband.com