British consumers have found themselves losing out following the introduction of the new service yesterday, which will enable calls to be made and received by those using both Eurostar and the car shuttle service.
This is because the three main French mobile operators – Bouygues Telecom, Orange and SFR – have signed an agreement with Eurotunnel to use its newly-installed network, but British companies have not.
Thus despite Britain accounting for 85 per cent of the 20 million passengers who use it, the tunnel will be regarded as French territory as far as the telecommunications industry is concerned.
It will remain so until negotiations with British firms are concluded. The impasse also means that calls can only be made while travelling from France to England, but not the other way.
French phone users will, as a result, pay far less to make calls throughout the 32-mile, 330 feet tunnel, because the service is being provided by their host phone companies.
But Britons will face roaming charges to use the French network. Vodafone, for example, has introduced a package which levies a £3 daily charge on customers who use their phone abroad.
A spokesman for Which? condemned the charges. "It is ridiculous if British travellers are going to be paying more than others so we urge phone companies to get their act together and agree fair charges with Eurotunnel as soon as possible.
"Using a mobile abroad can be hugely expensive, which is why we want phone companies to make consumers aware of exactly how much data they’re using and the costs."
According to Eurotunnel, French operators signed the agreement to enable the service to go live in time for the Olympics, while British firms are still negotiating.
“We are charging the operators a fee for using the infrastructure,” said a Eurotunnel spokesman.
However it will not receive any of the millions of pounds expected to be generated in roaming charges at British passengers expense.
Soaring roaming charges for holidaymakers have been a sensitive issue for some time who often face huge bills on their return home,
The EU has introduced some consumer protection by placing a price cap on mobile data roaming charges.
A ceiling has also been put on calls within the EU which will now cost a maximum of 23 pence a minute to make and six pence a minute to receive.
