Orange has announced plans to introduce a simplified tariff for UK customers under the ‘Your Plan’ brand.

Customers will be able to choose a certain number of inclusive minutes each month and add bundles of text messages, picture messages and information services at a fixed cost. Calls and messages which exceed the monthly quota will be charged at a flat-rate, although subscribers will be able to add an optional ‘off-peak’ bundle if they only intend to use the service outside working hours. Minutes and messages which remain unused can be carried over until the following month and shared with friends, family or colleagues. All new customers will sign-up for ‘Your Plan’ and existing customers will have the option of changing from their existing tariff.

John Allwood, Executive Vice-President Orange UK, commented: “Orange is going back to basics by ensuring that customers can choose from simple, transparent menus. ‘Your Plan’ will become the standard for the mobile industry. Not only does it address customers’ needs now, it provides a foundation for all future billing. We believe it will encourage the adoption and usage of Orange services such as Answer Phone, Messaging, Photo Messaging and other data services.”

Insight

For all Orange’s marketing spin, you’d think it was the first company in the UK to introduce such innovations as sharing minutes, monthly carry-over and bundles of messages. If the truth be told, almost all UK operators offer similar features, albeit without the marketing gloss Orange is so adept at adding. However, any commitment to simplifying the sign-up process for subscribers should be welcomed and, if nothing else, this should force its competitors to market tariffs with greater clarity.