The Government has offered Australia's three mobile operators, and vividwireless, renewal of their existing spectrum allocated on 15 year licences in the late 90s and early 2000s at set prices, while the Government expects to rake in $3 billion.
Launching what it calls the “International Mobile Challenge” with its new “3G My Cap Mobile Plan”, Gotalk says it is “planning to shake up Australia’s mobile industry”.
Of course companies always like to make these kinds of grandiose statements, so what are the details?
Well, Gotalk says its new service “will change the way customers think – and pay for - international direct dialing from mobile phones.”
Funny - I remember Optus ads on the sides of buses a few years ago saying it was cheaper to call overseas numbers from your mobile than it was to call numbers in Australia.
Prices must have gone up in that time? One example from that Optus bus ad was that it was cheaper to call Paris than Parramatta from your mobile...
Anyway, Gotalk’s CEO Steve Picton said: “Australia is a country that prides itself on its cultural diversity and yet it is almost impossible to find a postpaid mobile product that addresses our desire to stay in touch with fellow citizens around the world. Gotalk wants nothing less than to change the current telco mindset with its new ‘3G My Cap’ mobile plans.
“Unlike the larger players, Gotalk will let you use your entire monthly credit on international calls.
“Other mobile companies only allow you to use a specified percentage of your call credit on international calls, which makes it confusing and more difficult than it needs to be for consumers.
“So Gotalk has made it easier for consumers by allowing all of the call credit to be used for any type of calling, including international calls.
“The plans all come with included data. For every dollar spent on the monthly access fee, users receive one Megabyte worth of GPRS data to use on their 3G mobile phone,” continued Picton.
The major international call markets to be targeted with the new service include:
- China (including Taiwan and Hong Kong)
- Vietnam
- Korea
- India
- Greece
- Ireland
- Philippines
- Lebanon
- Italy
Picton concluded by adding that: “Plus the target audience will extend to destinations such as Canada, New Zealand, USA and the UK, where for example you will get 312 minutes on the ‘My $25 cap’”.
More details of this plan can be seen here at Gotalk’s site, what really stood out was a $1.25 per 30 second rate for video calls!!
So… this definitely isn’t a plan for video call usage, and if a lot of your international friends are using Skype, a 3 Skype phone might be a much better deal.
But not everyone can use a Skype phone, or has contacts on the other side using Skype, and a mobile phone is our "go everywhere phone" that few of us leave home without.
Gotalk says its international calling rates from mobile phones are competitive, such as NZ 18c, UK 20c, USA 22c, Singapore 25c and per 30 seconds - with the rest of the world's rates listed here (PDF link) so you can see for yourself.
If a lot of international calls from mobile phones are in your life, Gotalk wants to tempt you with its new 3G My Cap plans.
David Bass
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