Vodafone Paul Brislen on Telecom XT iPhone plans

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spazz

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#37520 14-Jul-2009 15:35

According to the NZ Herald, Paul Brislen had this to say about Telecom's "iPhone Plan" data allowance:

He claims that Telecom's 240MB of data would be quickly used on an iPhone and going over that level would cost users 50cents per megabyte.

The irony is, of course, that 3 / 4 of Vodafone's iPhone plans offer only 250mb of data themselves!

Pot, kettle, black?

If you're going to rubbish the competition, Paul, at least don't make your own offerings look foolish in the process. Okay, so you're attempting to hide them til September with a promo, but this is just PR spin at its worst.

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#235209 14-Jul-2009 16:02

Ha ha. I did think the same thing when I read that in the paper.

The 3gb IS only for 3 months after all...

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bazzer

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#235220 14-Jul-2009 16:13

Don't forget that once that promotion ends they'll have "something else"!

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#235222 14-Jul-2009 16:15

Very true.

Paul often says things like "watch this space" or "but that's only the beginning..." etc.

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spazz

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#235227 14-Jul-2009 16:17

bazzer: Don't forget that once that promotion ends they'll have "something else"!

Haha yes, so tempting! I love telcos that entice us with such clarity ;)

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welliegeek

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#235231 14-Jul-2009 16:28

I'm just hoping that the competition will mean that the VF plans will improve :)

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#235242 14-Jul-2009 16:51

I think he went to the same PR school as Mark Rushworth (iPhone 3G launch 2008, Campbell Live......)

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VFNZPaulBrislen

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#235249 14-Jul-2009 17:07

spazz: According to the NZ Herald, Paul Brislen had this to say about Telecom's "iPhone Plan" data allowance:

He claims that Telecom's 240MB of data would be quickly used on an iPhone and going over that level would cost users 50cents per megabyte.

The irony is, of course, that 3 / 4 of Vodafone's iPhone plans offer only 250mb of data themselves!

Pot, kettle, black?

If you're going to rubbish the competition, Paul, at least don't make your own offerings look foolish in the process. Okay, so you're attempting to hide them til September with a promo, but this is just PR spin at its worst.

Couple of things here. Firstly, you'll notice the lack of quote marks around those words. I didn't say them - the journalist is paraphrasing.

What I said was, once you've used up 240MB of data the over use rate of 50c/MB means you'll need to spend $1375 to reach the 3GB offer Vodafone has in play at the moment. $1375 versus free.

Secondly, the idea that 250MB is enough for an iPhone is probably about right. However, the 3.0 software upgrade means you can now tether your iPhone. Tethering to a laptop means 240/250MB is inadequate for serious use, so we've introduced the 3GB/month offer. It's free, and you can use it for free until the end of September.

3.0 also means PXT is available - our old plans didn't have PXT included, so we've decided to throw in 1,000PXT free. Again, this is free until the end of September.

And what happens then? I'm not going to tell you. We don't release future plans that far in advance and never have.

Hopefully you'll undertsand where we're coming from with this.

Cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

martyyn

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#235260 14-Jul-2009 17:26

I dont agree with some of the mud being thrown around on GZ today (particularly in Paul's direction because he has been nothing but helpful to me in the past) but I have to pull you up Paul on the above post.

Comparing a short term promotion against a 'regular' plan is scraping the barrell somewhat. Its not as if the 3Gb offer is standard across VF plans is it? As has already been pointed out most VF plans are of the same 250Mb range.

If youre on XT and you want to use 3Gb a month your not going to sign up for a 250Mb plan and then pay the overage are you? So your comment about "$1375 versus free" is pretty pointless.

Im out of contract in a matter of weeks and am watching with interest. The mud slinging between Telcos is getting tiresome but the more I wait the more I think my decision is going to be based on which network the phone will work the best on....regardless if it costs me a little more, its the technology I want, not the Telco.

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#235264 14-Jul-2009 17:35

PaulBrislen: [Secondly, the idea that 250MB is enough for an iPhone is probably about right. However, the 3.0 software upgrade means you can now tether your iPhone. Tethering to a laptop means 240/250MB is inadequate for serious use, so we've introduced the 3GB/month offer. It's free, and you can use it for free until the end of September.

But, if you (as in Vodafone) recognise 250MB is inadequate for serious use, why were "inadequate plans" introduced last week then? Why add "free" for three months, when quite a few people are now tied to those 250 MB plans - what will happen to those customers when/if Vodafone introduces bigger plans?

I imagine that people who signed up for "inadequate plans" would have the option to up the grade for free, surely?

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Tohe

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#235265 14-Jul-2009 17:35

martyyn: <SNIP> the more I wait the more I think my decision is going to be based on which network the phone will work the best on....regardless if it costs me a little more, its the technology I want, not the Telco.

ABSOLUTELY!
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exportgoldman

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#235271 14-Jul-2009 17:42

martyyn: I dont agree with some of the mud being thrown around on GZ today (particularly in Paul's direction because he has been nothing but helpful to me in the past) but I have to pull you up Paul on the above post.

Agreed. Paul does a good job, it's a credit to Vodafone that he even comes into geekzone, I've never seen a Telecom PR person in here...

martyyn: If youre on XT and you want to use 3Gb a month your not going to sign up for a 250Mb plan and then pay the overage are you? So your comment about "$1375 versus free" is pretty pointless.

Can I hazard a guess and say you have never managed a fleet of corporate phones before? People don't remember, can't tell or forget what their limits are, I remember many a horrific conversation and watching the feeling of doom come over someones face when they realise their phone has downloaded thousands of dollars of additional usage.

Vodafone used to be the worst offender at this with their 1GB/$50 2nd GB/$10 3rd GB/$10,240 (yes you read that correctly.)

It's cool to go over, but not by too much...Vodafone have fixed this issue and now offer reasonable overage charges of $102.40/GB That would freak me out a little, then I'd just slap myself for being dumb and pay it.

But now the shoe is on the other foot, and Telecom are charging in my opinion excessive overage charges. If they can offer the 1st GB for $50, then why does the second one cost $1,375?

The amusing thing is from the testing I've done it would take continous downloading at 100kbps (average speed testing I've done on VF) at 8 hours a day every day for a month to use 3GB. Let's hope they are doing those upgrades to 7.6 at a rapid rate.

XT on the other hand you can chew through data at a multi megabit rate and hit huge overage charges in no time.

I've been streaming georgefm and full screen videos on my XT connection not realising it was such a high overage rate... my fault legally, but kinda unfair IMHO.

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Finch

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#235275 14-Jul-2009 17:47

Been reading these posts all day from fellow Geekzoners. Provides some great humour in some cases with the 'fights' going on. Personally I think both Vodafone + Telecom have there advantages + disadvantages with there Iphone Plans. 3GB Free for 3 months = More of the active/business type user. 240m MB Free for 24 months = Casual user.

Now i havent done any research into what type of people buy iphones more (Business Users/Casual) But i would guess there would be more casual user out there. At least 75% IMO. So therefore Telecom would attract more customers.

Telecom win Round 1 in the Iphone Plans.

Lets see what vodafone does next. Hopefully its "Something else".

Thats just my opinion on it all..i could be wrong.

NonprayingMantis

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#235281 14-Jul-2009 18:05

exportgoldman:
martyyn: I dont agree with some of the mud being thrown around on GZ today (particularly in Paul's direction because he has been nothing but helpful to me in the past) but I have to pull you up Paul on the above post.

Agreed. Paul does a good job, it's a credit to Vodafone that he even comes into geekzone, I've never seen a Telecom PR person in here...

martyyn: If youre on XT and you want to use 3Gb a month your not going to sign up for a 250Mb plan and then pay the overage are you? So your comment about "$1375 versus free" is pretty pointless.

Can I hazard a guess and say you have never managed a fleet of corporate phones before? People don't remember, can't tell or forget what their limits are, I remember many a horrific conversation and watching the feeling of doom come over someones face when they realise their phone has downloaded thousands of dollars of additional usage.

Vodafone used to be the worst offender at this with their 1GB/$50 2nd GB/$10 3rd GB/$10,240 (yes you read that correctly.)

It's cool to go over, but not by too much...Vodafone have fixed this issue and now offer reasonable overage charges of $102.40/GB That would freak me out a little, then I'd just slap myself for being dumb and pay it.

But now the shoe is on the other foot, and Telecom are charging in my opinion excessive overage charges. If they can offer the 1st GB for $50, then why does the second one cost $1,375?

The amusing thing is from the testing I've done it would take continous downloading at 100kbps (average speed testing I've done on VF) at 8 hours a day every day for a month to use 3GB. Let's hope they are doing those upgrades to 7.6 at a rapid rate.

XT on the other hand you can chew through data at a multi megabit rate and hit huge overage charges in no time.

I've been streaming georgefm and full screen videos on my XT connection not realising it was such a high overage rate... my fault legally, but kinda unfair IMHO.

just to correct a few things here.

1)There are several official Telecom people here - just look under their names, it will say 'Telecom'. NealR is one, I forget a few others. Not sure if they are PR, but they are generlaly helpful it seems to people with problems.

2) it is ridiculously easy to keep track of your mobile data usage on XT. Most phones have Tworld as one of the soft key defaults and it gives you your usage so far that month, as well as how much you have left.

3) Telecom do the second GB for $15 if you go over. Very simila (if slightly more expensive) than Voda

"If you choose the 1GB, 2GB or 3GB plan and you happen to go over your data allowance, then you'll automatically get a further 1GB of data to use in that month for just $15. And after that's used up, then each megabyte will cost 50c."
from http://www.telecom.co.nz/mobile/mobilebroadband/plansandpricing took me about 20 seconds to find.

note the price of overage too. Not $1375/GB, but (approx) $500/GB. Voda charge 25c/MB, which equates to $250/GB. Telecom are more expensive, yes, but not to nearly the magnitude you suggest.

exportgoldman

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#235297 14-Jul-2009 18:56

NonprayingMantis: 1)There are several official Telecom people here - just look under their names, it will say 'Telecom'. NealR is one, I forget a few others. Not sure if they are PR, but they are generlaly helpful it seems to people with problems.

I agree, there are a lot of Telecom geeks here and credit to them, but I would hazzard to suggest it's a entirely different experience when your a PR person pushing message in here IMHO...

NonprayingMantis

2) it is ridiculously easy to keep track of your mobile data usage on XT. Most phones have Tworld as one of the soft key defaults and it gives you your usage so far that month, as well as how much you have left.

3) Telecom do the second GB for $15 if you go over. Very simila (if slightly more expensive) than Voda

note the price of overage too. Not $1375/GB, but (approx) $500/GB. Voda charge 25c/MB, which equates to $250/GB. Telecom are more expensive, yes, but not to nearly the magnitude you suggest.

Not saying it's not easy to track usage, the Vodafone app shows it ON YOUR LAPTOP with the option of having the PRICE but people still go over and end up with multi thousand bills especially a few years ago...

The pricing I used as a example I quoted off Paul, perhaps unwisely I didn't look it up myself - that will teach me.

Anyways, I'm sure if you ask ten different people you will get ten different opinions.

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#235298 14-Jul-2009 18:59

NonprayingMantis:
from http://www.telecom.co.nz/mobile/mobilebroadband/plansandpricing took me about 20 seconds to find.

Does that apply to the XT iPhone Plans as referenced in this thread topic? Just curious - not really following the debate as I'm not in NZ anymore but still interested to know...

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