Latest news with #mobilephone
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Simon Calder issues mobile roaming warning for summer holidaymakers
British holidaymakers are being advised to be vigilant about potential mobile phone roaming charges while abroad. Holidaymakers in Corfu have recently faced bills of up to £300 due to their phones connecting to Albanian mobile phone masts. This issue of unexpected roaming charges is not confined solely to the Corfu and Albania region. The Independent 's travel expert, Simon Calder, provides essential information on how to avoid these additional costs. Watch the video above.
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
How to avoid ridiculous phone roaming bills on your summer holiday
Showing now | News 01:30 Simon Calder The summer holidays are officially underway with thousands of Britons jetting off into the sun for a week of relaxation or two. Whether you have been saving for months for your 2025 holiday, or managed to book a great-value late deal, make sure you do not succumb to extra charges on holiday when using your mobile phone. Holidaymakers in Corfu have recently been hit with bills for roaming charges of up to £300 after their phones latched on to Albanian mobile phone masts. This issue is not limited to Corfu/ Albania confusion. The Independent's travel expert Simon Calder explains all you need to know.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Derwentside immigration centre phone problems continue
People at a women-only detention centre continue to struggle with poor mobile phone signal despite the Home Office previously saying that finding a solution to the problem was a "priority piece of work".The Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) said there had been "no progress" in improving phone reception at Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre in Consett, County Durham, since first detailing the issue in problem affected the women's contact with their family and friends as well as their legal cases, the IMB Home Office has been approached for comment. In 2024, 1,130 women arrived at Derwentside and, while the majority left detention within 14 days of arrival, there were examples of detainees staying at the facility for several months. More than 60% of the women released from Derwentside IRC were granted bail, the IMB said. 'Difficult and frightening' The watchdog said residents were "frequently noted to be hovering by open windows or outside" while waiting for or taking part in calls, "regardless of the weather and temperature".It said it had been more than two years since the Home Office said it was looking to introduce the ability for detainees to make calls via wi-fi, rather than mobile signals, as a potential solution to the site's poor government had called it a "priority piece of work", the IMB said, though this technology has "not yet been introduced", Dr Helen Groom from, the No To Hassockfield campaign group which seeks the closure of Derwentside, said this issue was particularly significant because many of the women were from other parts of the country so relied on phone calls to stay in touch with loved ones. The IMB report also said Derwentside was "generally safe" and there were few incidents involving violence or the use of the overnight transfers to and from the site still remained "too high", the board IMB said women at the site may have been trafficked and experienced "difficult and frightening" journeys in the past, so long overnight trips may contribute to their "anxiety and fear".It said about 24% of the women sent to the facility in 2024 had arrived overnight, which was an improvement on the "limited information" it had been given about overnight transfers in 2023. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
The Bolton drivers brought before court for being on their phones
These drivers from Bolton were brought before court for using their phones. Motorists in the town were caught by police on the public highway while on their mobiles. According to the government website, it is illegal to hold and use a phone, sat nav, tablet, or any device that can send or receive data, while driving or riding a motorcycle. This means you must not use a device in your hand for any reason, whether online or offline. Here are five Bolton motorists who were caught using their phones. Marton Horvath, 40, was caught while driving a Citroen C3 in Chorley Old Road on October 18 last year. Horvath, of Halliwell Road, was sentenced at Tameside Magistrates' Court on July 15. He was disqualified from driving for two months, reduced from six months due to mitigating circumstances - a longer disqualification would cause "exceptional hardship" to his diabetic son in terms of attending hospital. Horvath was also fined £60 and ordered to pay £60 costs and a £24 surcharge. Read more: Shocking images released in warning to drivers about life-changing consequences Read more: Drug addict in 'wicked act' that kept victim prisoner for weeks in town centre flat Read more: Ex-Great Britain rugby league player 'used sheer size to rape woman', trial hears Keiran Edwards, 35, was caught using a mobile phone while driving a Scania HGV on the M6 southbound near Knutsford on December 15 last year. Edwards, of Alderton Drive, Westhoughton, was brought before Chester Magistrates' Court on June 4. He was disqualified from driving for six months, fined £738, ordered to pay £110 costs and a £295 surcharge. Gul Basit, 33, drove a Toyota Prius while on a phone in Kinmel Bay, near Rhyl in North Wales, on August 12 last year. Basit, of Burwell Close, Great Lever, was sentenced at Wrexham Magistrates' Court on June 27. He was given six points, fined £183, ordered to pay £130 costs and a £73 surcharge. Zabir Kapadia, aged 51, drove a BMW XM while on a phone in Moss Bank Way on October 12. Kapadia, of Blackburn Road, Astley Bridge, was brought before Tameside Magistrates' Court on May 20. He was given six points, a £169 fine, £90 in costs and a £68 surcharge as punishment. Kapadia avoided prison due to his mitigating circumstances, needing to drive for his job to collect stock. Daniel Lewis, 38, was caught driving a Land Rover Discovery in Bolton Road, Walkden, while on a phone on August 29 last year. Lewis, of Bentley Court, Farnworth, was sentenced at Manchester Magistrates' Court on May 9 this year. He was fined £440, ordered to pay a surcharge of £176 and costs of £120, and disqualified for six months.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Ridiculous phone roaming bills and how to avoid them
Holidaymakers in Corfu have been hit with bills for roaming charges of up to £300 after their phones latched on to Albanian mobile phone masts. At their closest, the Greek island and the Balkan nation are barely one mile apart. The Mail reports that holidaymaker Maria Pratt wrote on Facebook: 'We got caught out 298 pound bill when we got home x.' This issue is not limited to Corfu/Albania confusion. Most British travellers have some sort of deal for low roaming charges within the European Union, and often the wider Schengen area (including Switzerland, Iceland and Norway). Costs are kept down to perhaps a few pounds per day. But in border areas with non-EU nations, or on ships connected to maritime satellite networks, travellers can inadvertently lock onto networks where charges are extremely high. These are the key questions and answers. I fly to an EU country. I switch on my phone. What could possibly go wrong? So long as you are staying well away from any borders with non-EU nations, and coastlines where you could connect inadvertently with a maritime network, not much. Typical roaming arrangements allow you a reasonable deal for Schengen area nations plus Ireland, the Isle of Man, Channel Islands, San Marino and Vatican City. Because a number of remote islands and territories are part of France, the plan often includes some far-flung destinations, including Guyane, Guadeloupe, St-Martin and Reunion. Notably, though, plans usually exclude some key Balkan, Mediterranean and Pyrenean nations: These territories are priced at high rates. Maritime tariffs – as applied on some ferries and cruise ships – are even more expensive. What are the possible roaming risks? The main problem is connecting to a network in another destination without meaning to. Phones are constantly probing to detect the optimum mast, and that may lay on the other side of an international border – or even on a vessel at seas. Where are the most likely problems? Holidaymakers on some Greek islands are prone to locking on to other countries' providers. Besides the Corfu-Albania example, the northern tip of Kos is only three miles from Turkey, while part of Lesbos is six miles from the Turkish mainland. Little-visited Chios is four miles from Turkey. In Cyprus, close to the 'Green Line', phones may select a network from the self-styled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In Croatia, the main problems concern the narrow coastal strip in the south, where Bosnia is never far away. Some of the most enticing locations in northeast Romania, including elaborately painted monasteries, are close to the Moldovan frontier. In the Suwalki Gap – where Poland and Lithuania meet, pinched between Belarus and Russian exclave Kaliningrad – you may lock on to a network that will either not work or cost you a fortune. The same applies in northeast Estonia, at the spectacular city of Narva, overlooking Russia. Even in the UK, at some locations in Kent, your phone may find a network in France more appealing. Travellers to French locations in the Caribbean might find potential issues, too. St-Martin (French) and the Dutch outpost of Sint Maarten share an island; the French part has cheap roaming, the Dutch part not. How can I avoid inadvertent roaming? You could turn off roaming altogether. On Android phones such as the Samsung Galaxy, go to "settings", "connections", "mobile networks" then select "roaming off". On an iPhone, from 'settings', go into 'mobile service' then 'mobile data options'. Select 'roaming off'. Then rely on local free wifi. If you want to roam without unpleasant surprises, start with 'roaming off'. On arrival in the destination, for an Android, from 'mobile networks' select "network mode", then "network operators" and disable "select automatically". On an iPhone, go to 'settings' and 'network selection'; disable 'automatic'. Choose a local provider; your phone should not opt for anyone else. Then switch on roaming. I am going to a country where roaming costs a fortune Get a local SIM or an eSIM that will allow you to make and receive calls, and use data, at a low price – which you can top up as necessary as you go. Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue – and what it means for you.
