Changes ring in
THERE is, at last, some tentative good news for consumers as Ofcom rings in the changes over mobile phone costs – and implements contractual changes that should bring down the cost of calls. On top of EU-led measures to reduce the charges incurred when mobile phones are used overseas, these changes offer some respite at a time when virtually every other household bill is outstripping inflation.
Of course, one difference between this slump and past recessions is that the world is more technologically-savvy, and the price of mobile phones, plus broadband access, has to be factored into the monthly budget. Costs can add up.
This is borne out by the fact that smartphones, and the “apps” that run on them, are now included in the basket of everyday goods used to determine inflation. A decade ago, this would have been unthinkable. But, with technology updating so quickly, and people demanding instantaneous contact with work colleagues, family and friends, these price trends are likely to become far more instructive than the traditional groceries – the staple diet of the inflation figures for so long.