T-Mobile UK: US & Europe calls included in your minutes
This shocked the hell out of me.
I was packed into a tube train on Sunday with thousands of others going to watch the London Marathon. Angus, a friend, was running. Support is the way ahead. I’m told that it’s inspiring to see your friends waving you on — so I was heading to the 11 mile mark to wave at Angus.
Whilst pressed against a hundred other bodies, I did what any self respecting Londoner does: Read the adverts.
I quickly located the T-Mobile one and had a look:
You what?
I had to look twice. Three times, actually.
US & European mobile/landline calls INCLUDED in your minutes?
The race to zero has begun!
It’s such a shock because I can’t even call internationally on my Vodafone account. I haven’t enabled it. You have to enable international calling if you’ve got a new contract. In fact, it’s SO expensive that Vodafone will take a real close look at you, check if you’re wearing new shoes, see if you’ve cleaned your teeth and the like, before deciding on whether to allow you to pay them ridiculous amounts of money to call internationally. I’m actually using RebTel to make my international calls at a whopping 0.8p per minute to the States (good deal, eh?) via an 0207 local London number. That avoids me paying the 135p per minute or whatever it would be, if I had international calls activated on my handset. So this is on extreme.
The other extreme is T-Mobile. Often the leader in market innovation, T-Mobile is now offering businesses (or those with a ‘business’ account), inclusive international calls.
So if you’ve got 1,000 minutes (for 20 quid a month, per line), you could, theoretically, use them to call the States. Or mainland Europe.
I’m assuming that ‘Europe’ means ‘Old Europe’ (as the US Whitehouse liked to call it — France, Germany, Spain). I reckon the more exotic European countries might not be inclusive.
So. Interesting.
That’s the first time I’ve seen a UK operator offering international calls as part of your ‘minutes’ bundle.
Yes, you have to be a ‘business’ customer, I think, in order to qualify, but that is phenomenally good.
It also makes sense. Global economy and all that.
It’s a rather good marketing ploy too. How long before I start staring at my Vodafone-branded Nokia E90 and think that I really am being screwed against the wall with my Vodafone price plan?
I obviously have to then remember the uber-annoyance I felt when my T-Mobile calls kept on hanging up all the time.
Hi Ewan,
This isn’t really a new service from T-Mobile, we’ve had it as part of our business plan since last October, and use it loads!
Chris
Posted by Chris Newell on April 14th, 2008 at 12:28 pm.This is genius I wish we had this in the States.
Posted by Jeb on April 14th, 2008 at 6:11 pm.t-mobile has been offering this plan for almost 3 years!! and yes it includes all calls to europe, north america and for very little extra includes unlimited web’n walk internet access! and the minutes can be shared with other users as well
Posted by james murphy on April 14th, 2008 at 7:40 pm.Hi there
T-Mobile is promoting it as a “new” business plan in their website. It was a about time! What’s the point of the international expansion of all the operators if users cannot benefit from it?
Posted by Nacho on April 14th, 2008 at 10:41 pm.O2 (part of Spanish telco Telefonica) started last year with an option that it is free to receive calls when you’re in Spain.
The T-Mobile option sounds good and hopefully it will be available to consumers pretty soon
Now, if I could only use a few of my 1000 monthly messages to text abroad for free… half of my adress book is made up of non-UK numbers!
@jamesmurphy I’m the idiot who’s been paying T-Mobile for absolutely stupidly priced international calls for the last three years then!
Posted by Ewan on April 15th, 2008 at 7:51 am.