Vodafone UK data plans

[Fudgey]

I was on the phone to Vodafone the other day regarding my bill. During the conversation, I asked the operator if there were any suitable data plans I could be put on, as my bills were creeping up from using the internet. I was pretty surprised when she told me that only business customers could add data plans to their contracts, and that there weren't any for personal customers.

Now, this seemed really odd to me - was just wondering if anyone else had had similar dealings with Vodafone? I'm going to go into one of their branches, but just don't have time at the moment due to uni exams.

[elbows]

Yes, I jut got an N95 today from Vodafone and I was told the same thing in the store. But I think this will change soon, ask again in a month or so.

[pseudofinn]

What are they currently charging for data usage to users without data plans?

[Fudgey]

data usage can come out of your monthly text message allowance. Above that, I think it's £2.35 per Mb. I wonder if it's possible to add on a text message package and use it that way - the operator I spoke to didn't really seem to know what was going on.

I really like Vodafone - out of three different networks I've been with, they've been the most reliable. I just wish they would realise we have these internet-capable phones for a reason!

[Fudgey]

Well, as of June 1st, Vodafone will change their data pricing plans to the following:

- Pay £1 per day for the first 15mb you use and then £2 per mb thereafter. The way they explain it is that it costs you £1 for the first 0.5mb and you get the next 14.5mb for free (how generous!)

- A data subscription service. The price plans have not been released yet.

- If using less than 0.5mb a day, you will be charged on a pro rata basis.

What does everyone think about these data charges? I think they sound quite reasonable, but I will be interested to see how much a subscription service will cost.

[charleem]

Originally Posted by Fudgey

Well, as of June 1st, Vodafone will change their data pricing plans to the following:

- Pay £1 per day for the first 15mb you use and then £2 per mb thereafter. The way they explain it is that it costs you £1 for the first 0.5mb and you get the next 14.5mb for free (how generous!)

- A data subscription service. The price plans have not been released yet.

- If using less than 0.5mb a day, you will be charged on a pro rata basis.

What does everyone think about these data charges? I think they sound quite reasonable, but I will be interested to see how much a subscription service will cost.

I work at Voda and the above plan is definitely confirmed.

As for the monthly package they STILL haven't made up their minds, even staff are getting fed up of waiting to see what they're going to release. We were originally told that the £1 a day would be for up to 25mb, seems they've changed that to 15mb, and this is the first we heard about it too, when it was released to the public.

The chatter about the monthly plan is equivalent to t-mobiles web'n'walk, however, knowing Voda it'll cost more and wont be quite as good.

I'm just glad I get my staff plan, costs me £25 a month for unlimited everything! Sorry for gloating, there has to be SOME benefits to working there though! :P

[symbarian]

Originally Posted by charleem

I work at Voda and the above plan is definitely confirmed.

As for the monthly package they STILL haven't made up their minds, even staff are getting fed up of waiting to see what they're going to release. We were originally told that the £1 a day would be for up to 25mb, seems they've changed that to 15mb, and this is the first we heard about it too, when it was released to the public.

The chatter about the monthly plan is equivalent to t-mobiles web'n'walk, however, knowing Voda it'll cost more and wont be quite as good.

I'm just glad I get my staff plan, costs me £25 a month for unlimited everything! Sorry for gloating, there has to be SOME benefits to working there though! :P

I notice you are charging for VOIP differently as £2 Per MB ......... ;0)

As you work for the operator, do YOU think that the revision in data charges have been done as a reactionary to the runaway success of t-mobiles web and walk and that this has some part to play in the networks atttempts to obtain more money

http://www.whatmobile.net/forumvb/sh...ad.php?t=16542

I ask merely because the operator is distinguishing between DATA and VOIP data.

I cant get my head around that because data is data.....no ? Why should someone be " hit with a stick " just because they want to use the data allowance . spike / freebie / tariff, or whichever way they are marketing it as, on VOIP.

The data deal IMHO is still prohibitive in respect of the operator stifling 3G Data adoption.

What do you think ?

[charleem]

Originally Posted by symbarian

I notice you are charging for VOIP differently as £2 Per MB ......... ;0)

As you work for the operator, do YOU think that the revision in data charges have been done as a reactionary to the runaway success of t-mobiles web and walk and that this has some part to play in the networks atttempts to obtain more money

The Great VOIP Debate - Should the Networks DICTATE ? - What Mobile Forum

I ask merely because the operator is distinguishing between DATA and VOIP data.

I cant get my head around that because data is data.....no ? Why should someone be " hit with a stick " just because they want to use the data allowance . spike / freebie / tariff, or whichever way they are marketing it as, on VOIP.

The data deal IMHO is still prohibitive in respect of the operator stifling 3G Data adoption.

What do you think ?

It is without a doubt in reaction to T-Mobiles web and walk, if I left Voda I would hand in my staff phone and move to T-Mobile without a doubt, I like the reliability of Vodafone and the customer service (I work in the high value unit) anyway I digress.

Yes, it is in reaction to web'n'walk, I don't know why they always seem to take a back seat though, the new tariffs they launched last year were in response to the other networks new offerings, we lost customers like you wouldn't beleive when TM launched flext, every other call was someone calling for a PAC and moving to TM, our retentions department were at their wits end, there was, and still isn't really anything that comes near it, I think flext is one of the best tariffs ever to be launched. Cellnet/O2 used to give you a money allowance each month to be used on what you wanted, it was only a matter of time before it came back.

With the new data plans they're hoping that customers who don't use data at the moment will be more inclined to use it, the £1 a day is good if you just want to check emails away from the office a few times a week, however, I'll be VERY interested to find out how much the data add on is going to be, this will be like the wnw from TM where you get an allowance each month for a set fee, I have a feeling it'll be about £10 though.

As for your question about voip and IM services, TM also charge seperatly for these, you have to pay an extra £5 a month on top of the £7.50pm wnw charge if you want to use unlimited wnw and IM, if you think about it, applications like MSN use very little data, all applications like MSN, Yahoo, hotxt, skype etc will be charged at the £2 per MB, I'm not sure if they're planning on launching something like wnw plus where for an extra fee you can use IM and voip.

At present, the only way to do voip inclusive on vodafone is to get a data card.

HTH, if you have any other questions drop me a line :)

[symbarian]

Originally Posted by charleem

It is without a doubt in reaction to T-Mobiles web and walk, if I left Voda I would hand in my staff phone and move to T-Mobile without a doubt, I like the reliability of Vodafone and the customer service (I work in the high value unit) anyway I digress.

Yes, it is in reaction to web'n'walk, I don't know why they always seem to take a back seat though, the new tariffs they launched last year were in response to the other networks new offerings, we lost customers like you wouldn't beleive when TM launched flext, every other call was someone calling for a PAC and moving to TM, our retentions department were at their wits end, there was, and still isn't really anything that comes near it, I think flext is one of the best tariffs ever to be launched. Cellnet/O2 used to give you a money allowance each month to be used on what you wanted, it was only a matter of time before it came back.

With the new data plans they're hoping that customers who don't use data at the moment will be more inclined to use it, the £1 a day is good if you just want to check emails away from the office a few times a week, however, I'll be VERY interested to find out how much the data add on is going to be, this will be like the wnw from TM where you get an allowance each month for a set fee, I have a feeling it'll be about £10 though.

As for your question about voip and IM services, TM also charge seperatly for these, you have to pay an extra £5 a month on top of the £7.50pm wnw charge if you want to use unlimited wnw and IM, if you think about it, applications like MSN use very little data, all applications like MSN, Yahoo, hotxt, skype etc will be charged at the £2 per MB, I'm not sure if they're planning on launching something like wnw plus where for an extra fee you can use IM and voip.

At present, the only way to do voip inclusive on vodafone is to get a data card.

HTH, if you have any other questions drop me a line :)

thanks for being candid and open - your best placed to answer so its good you can take the time to.

I agree with most of your points, but I have a bugbear with the VOIP being removed from the n95 and now your willingness to bill for VOIP eventhough the reasoning behind the VOIP removal from the handset was that customers didnt want it , cant bill it etc etc


Your comment about the increase on price on wnw for im is valid, but i honestly feel its a sensible approach as its imposes a " premium " to allow you to use some revenue, which cant be though of as a bad thing, as you are less likely to text through using im.

The VOIP segreagation though I dont agree with as, it seems that the n95 had VOIP removed in the intention people would use the data network to use VOIP instead, which I dont think will happen as theyll just find and alternative.

i think this year is going to be interesting in respect of data and maybe your network may do something to atone for the n95 fiasco.

anyway thanks for replying ;0)

[charleem]

Originally Posted by symbarian

thanks for being candid and open - your best placed to answer so its good you can take the time to.

I agree with most of your points, but I have a bugbear with the VOIP being removed from the n95 and now your willingness to bill for VOIP eventhough the reasoning behind the VOIP removal from the handset was that customers didnt want it , cant bill it etc etc


Your comment about the increase on price on wnw for im is valid, but i honestly feel its a sensible approach as its imposes a " premium " to allow you to use some revenue, which cant be though of as a bad thing, as you are less likely to text through using im.

The VOIP segreagation though I dont agree with as, it seems that the n95 had VOIP removed in the intention people would use the data network to use VOIP instead, which I dont think will happen as theyll just find and alternative.

i think this year is going to be interesting in respect of data and maybe your network may do something to atone for the n95 fiasco.

anyway thanks for replying ;0)

No problem at all, I totally agree with you, they should have left the N95 well alone and they should be doing something to encourage data usage and services such as voip and IM, I think their main reason behind disabling the IM side of things though is because of vodafone messenger, their own messaging device, completely useless though if you have friends on other networks, which lets face it, most of us do.

As for the part about wnw plus being £5 more, I think the major flaw with vodafone at the moment is that they've not worked out a way to have 2 lots of data packages like TM have, by this I mean that they can tell the difference between the ports and IM and voip application will use, hence charge differently for it, but, the billing system only has the facility to bill for one or the other, so it can bill for any ports used for voip and IM and port 80 which is web would be free, it's just working out a 2nd billing profile so that if XYZ = Premium package then all = free, I hope that makes sense? I'm starting to confuse myself now!!

Not trying to stick up for them in anyway, but voda have been around a lot longer than tmobile and still have a lot of much older systems, tmobile are the only company that can offer real time billing, all the other networks at the moment don't seem to be able to offer it, and if they do like the pay as you go offerings then many services seem to be restricted or simply not available, I think the thing that the other networks need to look at is installing new PAM's (Prepay account managers) or look at doing it across the board for all phones, at the moment this is why when you get a minute balance on voda it tells you it's up to 72 hours behind, this can sometimes be longer, especially just after a weekend, most of the time text messages are anything up to 10 days behind before they come through from the network.

If you want any more info or you'd like me to bore you about PAM's and why real time billing doesn't work just let me know! :)