T-Mobile’s rivals vexed with Flext

[3GScottishUser]

From Mobile Today (16/03/2006):

T-Mobile’s rivals are feeling the pain of the blistering start of T-Mobile’s Flext tariff.

Some have reacted with tariffs to counter the wave of customers swayed by Flext. 3 gave its own stores and Superdrug concessions a special deal to come close to matching Flext last week: 300 minutes and 1,000 texts for £30, and half-price line rental for nine months.

An insider said: ‘Flext is really hurting us. We’ve been told to promote the new deal because it is pretty much the same deal as T-Mobile’s.’

O2 is set to unveil a new tariff in April, focusing on nine months’ half-price line rental on 18-month deals. Staff said it was a big step for the network to promote ‘deals’, rather than just value bundles.

‘We’re really pleased with the response. Customers understand what we are trying to do,’ said T-Mobile’s marketing chief, Phil Chapman (pictured).
Vodafone is expected to make a big tariff launch at its retail conference in Brighton next week, although the details are being tightly held. The operator made a big splash last year when it stole the thunder from the then-dominant 3 with its high-value, cut-price hero 3G tariffs.

Orange has been left holding out for its controversial Animals tariffs. Initial reactions from retailers have focused on the lower value of Orange’s bundles compared to Flext.

Meanwhile, T-Mobile staff are basking in what one staff member described as ‘unprecedented sales’. He claimed his store sold twice the typical amount this weekend, even taking Christmas into account.

‘Phones 4u and The Carphone Warehouse keep coming in and reckon they are basically working for T-Mobile. They’ve asked: “Can you order us some T-Mobile badges?”’ said one T-Mobile store manager.

Flext 35 (either 900 minutes or 1,800 texts for £35) is dominating offers at the major multiples, although there are variations on how it is being presented with predictable layers of cashback.

Carphone’s top online deal is on Flext 30 with its exclusive pink Motorola L6, priced at £4.99 for 12 months on an 18-month contract.

Phones 4u and The Link are sticking to explaining the official T-Mobile line of 900 minutes or 1,800 texts; Dial-A-Phone, which waited for rivals to launch their offers before it finalised its own deals, is offering seven-and-a-half months’ free line rental on the Nokia 6111.

http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/artman-...cle_1278.shtml

[Hands0n]

Y'know, I've always been singularly uninspired by T-Mobile's tariffs and offerings ............. until now! Had they done something like this years back I'd be a hardened T-Mobile customer. As it was, I've never really liked anything they've had to offer, ever!

Flext does not appear to have any relevance to 3G inasmuch as there is no mention of it. Will they extend Flext into 3G and incorporate Videocall and MMS etc? Free browsing the portal? Stuff like that?

For sure, Flext is a marvelous 2G/2.G offering not to be missed if you're up for renewal and don't want 3G [at the moment]. But would one want to take on an 18 month contract in the face of 3G? From the article above, the answer appears to be "apparently so" ..... Does this mean that the masses don't really give a stuff about 3G? Apparently so!

All of that does not really bode well for the promotion and wider sale of 3G unless (a) T-Mobile extend Flext into their 3G offering and (b) the rivals step up to the plate and compete on [at least] an even footing.

More on T-Mobile Flext here

[solo12002]

Gome on answer the question I asked three days ago. Do you work for t-mobile?

Do you know if there are plans to release this on 3G?

[indiecheese]

I have heard that they will add data to the tariff from late april/may time.

It will be a bundled add on £7.50 for UNLIMITED mb's.

If that is the case. T-mobile are either very clever or insane.

Now 3g data speeds for a much data as you want for £7.50. Madness

[Hands0n]

Ooooh, ooooh, my favourite soapbox subject

No, not madness but finally a degree of sanity enters the equation, if it happens that is.

Consider how much data bandwidth we get for what it costs for broadband wired connections and it then does not seem unreasonable. Unless, that is, one wants to add in a Premium for the bandwidth being sent over the ether rather than down copper wires and fibres.

But I very critically question any notion of Premium whether it be 2G/2.5G or 3G. For example, what exactly is the Premium value? Why, then, is Data so much more expensive and considered a Premium over Voice which is using precisely the same ethereal connection, accepted with different technology [to be pedantic]. And if it is to be charged at a Premium then the average mobile user is heavily discouraged from using it - and so it remains little used, and the mobile ops investment in infrastructure takes longer to pay back, if at all, and so the vicious circle of justifying the high charges continues infinitely! As indeed it has to date.

I do believe that if the T-Mobile unlimited MBs for £7.50 becomes a reality it could very well establish them overnight as the Premier mobile data provider in the UK [at least]. Consider, once they have captured the Customer's business for 12 or 18 months it will be impossible for the rival mobile operators to win back that business in anything less than that time! What a marvelous edge T-Mobile will have achieved.

I do hope they do it, the mobops in general need to be shaken very rudely out of their continuing complacency. Bring on the mobile wars

[Ben]

Originally Posted by indiecheese

I have heard that they will add data to the tariff from late april/may time.

It will be a bundled add on £7.50 for UNLIMITED mb's.

If that is the case. T-mobile are either very clever or insane.

Now 3g data speeds for a much data as you want for £7.50. Madness

I'd actually take out a contract with T-Mobile out of sheer appreciation.