Phones and internet

GOV.UK describes Ofcom as the regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries. It regulates fixed line telecoms, mobiles, and the airwaves wireless devices use, along with TV, radio, and post. GOV.UK says Ofcom has a separate website. Prices, contract length, and coverage change, so use that site and the terms the company gives you. This page does not recommend a company.

What to sort out

• A US phone plan may not work the same way in the UK. The company that bills you can say whether your current plan works there. This page does not print a roaming rate.
• A UK mobile plan and a home broadband plan are separate products. Read the contract length and the exit fee on the offer itself.
• Coverage at a house is not the same as coverage at the base. Ask the provider to check the address before you sign.
• GOV.UK lists call charges and phone numbers from the Ofcom organisation page. Use that page for call-charge rules rather than a figure repeated here.

More in this set

• UK life overview
• SOFA basics
• TRICARE and the NHS
• Driving