Stop all the clocks and have a read….
Link: xseries: X-Series Answers 08
3 UK writes: Because X-Series is an unlimited service (subject to fair use policy, of course), you will not be billed for any access to the Internet from your X-Series mobile and it will not show on your account.
We have not intentionally blocked access to services or prevented access to, or downloads from, any particular sites. However, we have not tested the service or the handsets for applications or uses other than those promoted by 3.
If you can download clients and access websites or web-based services of your choosing, then this access will be included as part of the Unlimited data offer, other than where we separately offer that same service with a client we have provided (such as Sling and Orb).
Please be aware that we cannot guarantee access to all sites through our network or that your X-Series handset can support any software other than the software included by 3 or the handset manufacturer. In addition, the manufacturer’s handset warranty may become void if it develops a fault due to any software or applications that are not installed on the handset by the manufacturer.
First off, I am absolutely loving the frank, direct and swift responses coming out of the Three X-Series blog. Absolutely wicked.
Second, my mind is now rested.
Third, my chest is filled with excitement for the industry.
I will not be billed for any access to the internet from my X-Series mobile.
Get in.
Get IN!
Read that and weep Mr & Mrs o2VodafoneOrange.
I have made this a HOT posting. Three is officially HOT.
Now hear this. Two operators in the UK are now offering proper unlimited internet access from their handsets. One is Three. The other is T-Mobile.
If you are with any other mobile operator and you regularly use data — or WANT to use data — you should A) get your head examined and B) swap immediately.
It’s not good enough now. Do you remember my, WHY YOU’RE SCREWING UP THE MOBILE INDUSTRY — (that’s YOU as in the reader) post?
Well I’m going to start calling out people publicly now.
With the confirmation from Three that unlimited means unlimited (fair use, of course), there’s no excuse.
It’s an extra 5 quid for unlimited from Three or an extra 7.50 from T-Mobile.
Two week grace period before I begin publishing names, addresses and inside leg measurements……………… 😉
what’s excellent here, is that these two carriers are pitching their stall early and are hoping to pick up all the early adopters of VAS products (3rd party or carrier providers/offered), such as applications (games etc), web2.0 products such as sling and shozu/flickr and all the other wondrous products out there now or soon to come. Just as punters shifted to Orange in the late 90’s with the advent of the ‘Every-Day-50’ tariff, and O2 in the early 00’s with their SMS text bundles, let’s hope there is a noticeable shift towards these carriers.
The first to market advantage particularly as demonstrated by O2’s ascent into being ‘THE’ pre-paid SMS senders network, can be massive. The carriers that don’t move to free/unlimited data are unlikely to lose noticeable business initially, but they’ll end up losing some of their highest ARPU generating users. As the voice market becomes more and more competitive ergo less profitable, the shift from an MNO perspective needs to be to generate profit in other areas. De facto high ARPU users of the future (those that care about data rates) will now start migrating over to the unlimited data plan carriers. With any sense the other carriers will be thinking this already and one would suspect and hope that their plans to counter are in development.
Today, Vodafone in particular ought to lose customers. If you’re not a corporate then you will be better looked after commercially elsewhere. As seen in the latest Ofcom report on such matters, Vodafone’s profitability comes off the back of voice, and more precisely inflated voice costs. The old adage of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ mentality springs to mind. I appreciate that Vodafone would be mad to risk the loss of their corporate market just now, but over time market forces will drive their business down nonetheless.
Ironically given it’s user base demographic, Vodafone almost certainly has the least to lose and the very most to gain by offering an unlimited data plan. They’ve changed Vodafone Live to ‘free to browse’, which was a token step in the right direction, but why stop there? I would envisage given it’s proportionally lower representation of ‘up and coming data users’ anyway, that the benefits would far outweigh the negatives, not least of all because the users benefiting from a data bundle, would still be sending ridiculously expensive SMS and making pricey voice calls whilst they’re with the carrier.
The battle line has been drawn; the first crusade was in voice, the second in text messaging, the third and arguably most important (since the future of the mobile web hinges on it) is that of data rates. Full credit as I say to Three and T-Mobile for striking the first blow, here’s hoping the other carriers counter-strike soon..
now.. back to work. Ho-hum.
“If you can download clients and access websites or web-based services of your choosing, then this access will be included as part of the Unlimited data offer, other than where we separately offer that same service with a client we have provided (such as Sling and Orb). ”
This is still quite weasly – they might be saying that if you are using email on your phone, and its not either 3’s mobile mail or Yahoo Go application, then you’ll get data charges.