By Tim Sculthorpe, Deputy Political Editor For Mailonline
Published: 12:46 GMT, 7 February 2019 | Updated: 16:50 GMT, 7 February 2019
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Britons travelling in Europe after March 29 could face a return to mobile roaming charges in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the Government admitted today.
Mobile phone firms have since 2017 been banned from charging customers travelling within the EU extra fees to use arranged allowances of minutes, texts and most data.
However a new draft law, tabled as part of a raft of no-deal preparations, means that from March 29 mobile users may be liable for surcharges when they travel on the continent.
Just two of 12 major UK mobile operators - Three and its sister brand Smarty - have committed to keeping free roaming whatever happens with Brexit.
The Government promised in September that it would change the law to cap roaming charges at £45 a month.
Britons travelling in Europe after March 29 could face a return to mobile roaming charges in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the Government admitted today
Shadow culture secretary Tom Watson (left) accused the Jeremy Wright (right) of having 'caved' to the 'lobbying might of telecoms companies' in the Commons today (pictured)
In a note accompanying the new laws - the Mobile Roaming (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 - the Government admits consumer groups lobbied hard for a new scheme to maintain current arrangements.
But 'after careful consideration, the Government decided not to adopt this proposal', it says.
The new draft regulation says that in the event of no exit agreement with the EU, 'it will not be possible to impose a limit on the wholesale charges faced by UK operators when their customers use networks owned by EU operators'.
