DUBLIN, Ireland-Orange claims to have set a trend other U.K. mobile operators will likely be forced to follow by abolishing its range of tariff plans and introducing “build your own” packages with a fixed monthly fee.
U.K. consumer groups, which have long been critical of the pricing structures employed by mobile operators, may consider Orange’s announcement a victory for consumer power, although the more likely reason is the company’s desire to simplify its GSM offerings ahead of the launch of third-generation (3G) service.
Orange’s comment that consumers are confused by the plethora of tariffs currently on offer might rankle those in the industry who have been making the same point for years, but its ambition to simplify the process of calculating the cost of mobile-phone calls appears genuine.
Perhaps the most significant element of the new price structure is that customers are charged at the same flat rate even if they exceed their inclusive monthly minutes or messages quota, rather than paying a second, higher rate as is the case with many inclusive packages. Customers can also carry unused minutes or messages to the next month without limit.
