Vodafone today unveiled six new plans and a range of bolt-on mobile-data options for its customers, sacrificing its Infinite-branded plans in the reshuffle.
Describing the new plans as “more simple and straightforward”, Vodafone’s amended options include six basic plans available on both 12- and 24-month contract terms and a range of add-ons allowing customers to choose how much data they need. Pricing is tiered, starting from AU$19 up to AU$99 per month, where the AU$79 and AU$99 options include unlimited calls, messages and voicemail.
Full plan details can be found here.
Customers choosing one of the new plans are encouraged to add a mobile data pack to their account, where an extra AU$5 per month adds 700MB, and an extra AU$10 adds 2GB with a 12-month commitment. Vodafone has decreased its excess usage rate to 2c per MB, although interestingly this only applies to customers who add an internet pack to their account; those without a pack are charged 50c per MB for excess data usage.
To help customers to determine whether they need an internet pack or not, Vodafone has developed an online data calculator. Customers can select whether they want to calculate data for a smartphone or a tablet, and the calculator changes its algorithm to take high-definition content into account.
The absence of Vodafone’s Infinite Plans from the new plan options is the most notable adjustment. Launched in November 2010, the Infinite plans offered unlimited calls, messages, voicemail and access to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace and Foursquare from as little as AU$45 per month. Raising the entry for unlimited calling to AU$79 per month (AU$65 on a BYO phone plan) realigns Vodafone’s pricing with competitors Optus and Virgin Mobile, which both offer a similar service for AU$89 per month.