Ofcom is calling on the UK mobile industry to address the problem of consumers receiving unexpectedly high bills. It follows recent research that suggested 1.4 million mobile phone ‘contract’ customers may have been affected by ‘bill shock’ in the past six months.

The regulator says it may introduce new rules if mobile networks don’t tackle the problem.

Cubic Telecom has signed a Mobile Virtual Network Operator agreement with Vodafone UK, enabling customers with a Maxroam SIM card to use voice, text and data services on the Vodafone network.

Maxroam had previously offered discounted mobile use when abroad but didn’t have an equivalent deal for the UK.

Mark Bridge writes:

I don’t mind paying for a spot of WiFi when I need it. Admittedly I’d prefer to find a coffee shop with a free hotspot but I’ll pay if I really need a connection. Not just here in the UK but abroad too.

Retrieva, the UK-based company that produces dog tracking collars with built-in GPS tracking, has announced a deal with specialist virtual mobile network Podsystem.

It’ll allow Retrieva to use Podsystem’s MultiNet Europe SIM cards for a premium roaming service that’ll simplify costs and will allow European owners to track their dogs across national borders.

Mark Bridge writes:

Today’s podcast feature is a personal look at the cost of mobile ‘roaming’ in France.

At the beginning of July 2011 the rate for European roaming charges fell to a maximum of 38p per minute (incl. VAT) for calls made while abroad in the EU – and 12p per minute for calls received. There’s also a maximum 12p charge for sending text messages.