[3GScottishUser]

Its quite brilliant getting 1GB of data free per month for the first 2 months as a new Orange 3G customer.

Thats a lot of data and should suit even the heavest surfers and downloaders but I think the deal is a bit silly.

After the first two months its about £1 a meg for data on Orange including browsing their portal Orange World. Would'nt it be a better idea to give customers say 50MB of free data a month for the 1st two months as a trial then offer 100MB a month for £3-5. Over an 18 month deal they could make an extra £90 from customers and would only be providing the same data allowance that they currently give away.

Data and Internet pricing is something Orange UK need to address quickly now as they appear to be getting good uptake of 3G phones and it would be pointless encouraging demand only to frighten users off with unrealistic pricing after their initial appitite for mobile Internet use has been established.

Perhaps time to raise the matter with Orange UK directly?

[miffed]

£1 per meg ? that'll teach you to be contracted to them :p (I can't talk - got three contracts with O now - and still had to buy a PAYG sim ! to get a reasonable data rate )

Non contract customers get a days worth for that :D (well , not 3G but the difference in price is still overwhelming )

still can't beleive that Orange discriminate against contract customers so badly !

There are rumours of a W&W type tarriff on the horizon (Orange world unlimited ) at £8 per month - but this is all very secretive and unavailable to mortals

[bsrjl1]

£1000 free for two months ;-) I was going to look at the Orange GPRS charges & see how much 1Gb would cost, but it's so hard to find anything on there I can't be bothered.

[3GScottishUser]

Here are the current data prices on Orange UK:

Orange World Access (GPRS/3G) monthly price MB included cost per MB out of bundle.

Orange World Access 4 £4 4MB thereafter £1 per MB

Orange World Access 10 £8 10MB thereafter £0.80 per MB

Orange World Access 25 £16 25MB thereafter £0.70 per MB

Orange World Access 80 £41.13 80MB thereafter £0.65 per MB

Orange World Access 400 £52.88 400MB thereafter £0.59 per MB

Orange World Access Max £88.13 subject to a fair usage policy of 1000MB per month

http://www2.orange.co.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=OUKPersonal&c=OUKService&t=Service&cid=1096023564458&tab=2&mid=1137070320205

They seem to have add-ons in their help and support section for exisiting customers, agreed its almost impossible to find the information in the Orange Shop site.

Verdict - Barmy!!

[miffed]

http://www.modaco.com/Orange-unlimited-data-t243312.html

Well if you have the gift of the gab , it is well worth trying to blag this bolt on out of OCS

[3GScottishUser]

Cheers for the above, looks like that promotion ended on 1st of September but well worth checking with OCS. I have already sent them a mail so I will update the information received when they respond.

[Ben]

It's all crazy to be sure. Offering customers so much free data to start with and then whacking them with massive charges is just insane. Back in the Good Old Days (which were pretty terrible from a technical standpoint) I used to get 50mb free each month, infinitely more valuable than the replacement offer that came along.

[miffed]

Have to be honest - I have never paid much for data

Firstly I was on a Voda business tariif with 1000 Inclusive minutes -which weren't supposed to bw usable for data - but seemingly , their only way to identify a data call was the 08** prefix :o - so I used a geographic number for my dial up , and presto !

Then I went on to O2's free PAYG GPRS

Then on to free o2 contract GPRS

Then (& now) onto T-mobile W&W

So I've been pretty lucky - my data use is pretty heavy IMO

...But there is NO WAY I'd be using data AT ALL if it going to cost me much - (or more to the point - if it were to cost me the amount that most of the networks seem to want for it !)

Does ANYONE ? .... is that the problem ??

[Hands0n]

The cost of mobile data has traditionally been punitive. You want our data, then you're gonna pay through the nose for it. So, very much mostly, noone bothered.

Now they want to launch all of these services and get us using data like its a new thing. I fully anticipate the fanfare announcement that we are now liberated to use the Internet from wherever we want! Gee thanks guys, but until the costs are reasonable you can stuff it.

That said - T-Mobile scored me and my lad as a customer through their Flext with Web N Walk. The Mrs will be going over to them for some of that when her contract comes up for renewal later in the year (we've given up with O2's 3G, it don't work, but thats another story!).

The pressure to deliver IM via Mobile grows - the kids wont touch it (or be able to afford to) at the current price of data. Make it a commoditised price and the kids and everyone else will have some of it. For as long as it is a Premium price it will remain a niche product.

[Alio]

Hit the nail on the head...(HandsOn)

All the networks need to have a big rethink when it comes to data charges!

[3GScottishUser]

Just a quick follow-up re this topic.

I took the time to send a mail to orange and have been advised that they are considering new data add-on packages at the moment.

Had a look around Orange World for the first time in ages and it really has expanded with lots of free video clips and loads of services from 3rd party providers. At current data costs though I'd say its a dead duck and urgently requires a rethink.

I also tried the Oange Music Player and its pretty neat at £1 a song when you buy 3 together. Nice to see you get your first 3 free too. Sadly the DRM is pretty solid and there is not much flexibility compared with Vodafone who let you download a track 3 times to your mobile, download to a PC and burn it 10 times to CD. With a massive selection to choose from one could easily get into the habbit of dipping in for a tune or two... or maybe even 3!!

[Ben]

I remember talking about OMP here. I loved it at first, but argh, the sound quality of those super-endcoded-and-compressed tracks leaves a lot to be desired. There are major flexibility problems too, as you mention, leaving 3 and Vodafone's services vastly superior.

Real Internet music services need to start making their DRM downloads comatible with mobile phones. Bring on the competition.

New data deals on Orange are a massive must.