UK independent communications regulator Ofcom recently announced that UK mobile phone and landline network providers will have to allow customers to cancel their contracts without penalty if their monthly subscription prices are raised. Now Three has responded.

Three will be enforcing the ruling for its customers, protecting them from price changes in their contracts.

The official statement said: "Your fixed monthly recurring fee from Three will not go up in the minimum term of your contract. We support Ofcom’s approach to fixing the price for pay monthly contracts for their duration. We think it’s only fair that customers should have clarity around costs when they sign up to a contract."

READ: You can cancel your phone contract without penalty if prices rise, says Ofcom

But there could be a downside to this level of protection. Vodafone previously told Pocket-lint that it doesn't control many of the charges faced by consumers, and that third parties are equally to blame for price hikes.

Ofcom said: "Ofcom itself admits that if its proposals are carried out, they could result in the up-front cost of using a mobile phone actually increasing as mobile phone operators will have to try to second guess what price increases third parties will attempt to introduce."

Although in this case Three hasn't mentioned a change in up front costs. We'll have to wait and see how this affects contracts in the future.