Ofcom enforces ban on ‘nasty surprise’ mid-contract telecoms price rises

A Guardian investigation last year exposed ‘greedflation’ in the telecoms sector, with millions of people facing mid-contract jumps in monthly payments of up to 17.3% Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

Millions of consumers will be protected from “nasty surprises” from Friday as new rules take effect that mean telecoms firms must tell people upfront – in “pounds and pence” – about any future price rises.

It means mobile phone, broadband and pay-TV companies are now banned from imposing mid-contract price increases linked to unknown future rates of inflation.