UK phone, broadband and pay-TV firms face ban on ‘confusing’ price rises

Customers should be told clearly upfront rather than facing inflation-linked mid-contract increases, Ofcom says

• Mobile and broadband firms accused of fuelling UK greedflation' with major price hikes

Phone, broadband and pay-TV companies will be banned from imposing inflation-linked price rises in the middle of a contract and must instead tell customers upfront and in pounds and pence" about any price rises, under new rules proposed by the telecoms watchdog, Ofcom.

The regulator said inflation-linked mid-contract price rises did not provide enough clarity about the prices people will pay, and caused substantial amounts of consumer harm" by hampering their ability to shop around for a better deal.