iTWire - Get a $29 per month mobile plan for $10, plus a few adverts

Get a $29 per month mobile plan for $10, plus a few adverts

by Stuart Corner
Monday, 25 August 2008
Page 1 of 2 ComTel (ASX: CMO) has launched what it claims to be Australia's first ad-subsidised mobile service, SMSPup Mobile, provided on the Vodafone Network. Register now to win a Canon EOS 500D User pay $10 per month instead of the normal $29 for a plan offering $130 per month worth of calls and SMS at standard charges in return for agreeing to receive up to five advertising SMS/ MMS or email advertising messages per day, with the advertisers picking up the balance. There is no fixed contract requirement: users can port in their existing mobile number and can opt out of receiving ads at any time and continue on the same plan by paying $29 per month. However, in addition to the discount, ComTel says that core to the plan's offering is the extra value generated through special advertising offers and participation rewards. Customers who 'opt-in' to the advertising component receive reward points that can be redeemed for a range of benefits including movie passes, travel discounts and used in auctions for devices such as handsets. Launch of the service follows ComTel's acquisition of mobile advertising company, Empowered in October 2007 for $23.7 million ComTel managing director, David Sweet, said: "We have a collective database of 500,000 Australians who have subscribed to one of Empowered's five value generating online portals, and an advertising base of over 360 brands and agencies that have been targeting these subscribers since 2004. According to ComTel these are mainly aged between 18 and 40, and are rewarded for receiving mobile and online advertisements that match their registered demographic profile and lifestyle preferences." The existing SMSPup portal is claimed to one of the company's most successful to date with 140,000 subscribers who get free web to mobile SMS capability in return for receiving advertisements and participating in occasional surveys. ComTel says that, last year word-of-mouth referrals accounted for 66 percent of the portal's growth. ComTel says its service is modelled on the Blyk service launched in the UK in late 2007. "Targeting 16-24 year olds, Blyk outstripped growth expectations, attracting its annual member target of 100,000 six months ahead of schedule." CONTINUED << First page < 1 2 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>