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Consumers should guard against unintentional or inadvertent use of mobile data services when using roaming services outside Hong Kong during the upcoming festive season.
The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) today (December 16) reminded consumers travelling outside Hong Kong to exercise care when they use mobile data services, as a large volume of mobile data usage may result in hefty bills or "mobile bill shock".
"Consumers should understand that no matter what kind of mobile device they use to surf the Internet, whether smartphones, tablets, handheld computers or USB dongles, when outside Hong Kong charges for mobile data roaming services are much higher than those for local mobile data services. The increasing popularity of 4G mobile devices and services in recent months has enabled rapid downloading of large files, and this may in turn lead to an unexpectedly large volume of data consumption," a spokesman for OFCA said.
For consumers' peace of mind and to avoid incurring unexpectedly high mobile data charges while travelling outside Hong Kong, the OFCA advises them to consider adopting the following measures:
* switch off the mobile data service function on their mobile devices whenever they do not need to use the service;
* double check that the mobile data service function on their mobile devices is in switched-off mode whenever they re-start the devices;
* switch off the automatic (background) update functions of their mobile devices, such as the functions for updating emails, applications (apps), firmware, etc;
* check data usage regularly through the function on the mobile devices;
* check frequently that mobile devices have not been switched to mobile data services while they are using the Wi-Fi system for accessing the Internet; and
* use a local pre-paid SIM card at your destination.
Consumers may also request their operators to temporarily de-activate the mobile data services. Some operators also allow deactivation of mobile data roaming services while keeping voice roaming.
"Many operators are providing customers with a data roaming day pass subscription plan with a charge ceiling or flat-rate in certain destinations. For those consumers who intend to use mobile data services frequently while travelling overseas, we advise them to use a data roaming day pass. Consumers may approach their operators for detailed information," the spokesman said, adding that they may visit the link www.ofca.gov.hk/en/consumer_focus/education_corner/guide/advice_roaming/smart_use/index.html for more tips on smart use of data roaming day pass.
In addition, consumers are advised to use the Data Usage Calculator on the OFCA website (app1.ofca.gov.hk/apps/dataCal/index.asp) to estimate the amount of data usage that they may require. This is a tool developed by the OFCA to help consumers manage their data usage efficiently, which estimates the data volume that will be used by consumers after they have input the required data.
Since August 2010, individual operators have adopted various mobile bill shock preventive measures. Members of the public may access details of those measures by visiting OFCA's website via this link: www.ofca.gov.hk/en/consumer_focus/education_corner/guide/advice_mps/billshock/index.html .
"Subsequent to the implementation of the measures and the OFCA's continued efforts in launching various consumer education programmes and activities, the number of consumer complaints on mobile bill shock has dropped significantly. In 2010, we received a total of 789 complaints on mobile bill shock, while in 2011 and 2012, the number of complaints under the same category dropped to 526 and 434 (as at November) respectively," the spokesman said.
"The OFCA will continue to closely monitor market developments to ensure suitable and timely measures will be adopted to safeguard consumer interest," the spokesman added.
Additional consumer alerts on smart use of mobile data roaming services can be accessed via this link: www.ofca.gov.hk/en/consumer_focus/education_corner/alerts/mds/unexpected/index.html .
Ends/Sunday, December 16, 2012
Issued at HKT 12:00
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