News 2002
Virgin Mobile VS One.Tel - The facts and figures
27/06/2002
There’s a new kid on the mobile block and it’s called One.Tel, but is it offering the best value?
Virgin Mobile welcomes increased competition in the UK mobile market and supports greater consumer choice, but warns customers to do their sums before choosing the new network.
Customers on the One.Tel tariff will find themselves paying nearly £5 a month, that’s almost £60 per year, for the privilege of being on this new virtual network before even making a call. Virgin Mobile has no-contract to sign.
On One.Tel voicemail costs 10p per minute on One.Tel and with Virgin Mobile it’s free.
There are peak and off peak rates with One.Tel where as Virgin Mobile was the first operator to scrap peak rate calls; calls cost 15p per minute for the first five minutes of use each day, and 5p per minute after that.
Virgin Mobile is the only network in the UK to offer a cashback feature in its tariff - the Big Bonus. Customers who spend £30 or more a month get 10% back in airtime the following month. That’s the equivalent of at least 30 free UK text messages. One.Tel offers no free minutes or texts.
Steven Day, corporate affairs director, Virgin Mobile said: "Why pay almost £60 a year to get stuck with One.Tel? Why sign a contract? Why pay for voicemail? Why pay peak rates? We think consumers will say the answer is - why indeed? Yet One.Tel says in its advertising, `Being fleeced by your mobile deal?’ Maybe it should ask itself the same question.!"
Here’s how One.Tel measures up with Virgin Mobile, the UK’s 5th network provider:
| VIRGIN MOBILE | ONE.TEL | |
| Contract | NONE | Minimum of 12 months |
| Pre-pay or post-pay offering | BOTH | Contract only |
| Line rental | FREE | £4.99 (no inclusive minutes) |
| Voicemail | FREE | 10p per minute |
| Text messages | 10p per message | 10p per message |
| Price of lowest entry level handset | £79.99 | £49.99 + 12 months line rental at £59.88 |
| Additional names on contract | N/A | For additional customers on the same account it is £2.99 each per month - £35.88 for 12 months. Maximum of 5 names on same account. |
| Price of calls to other mobiles of the same network | 15p per minute for first five minutes of use each day and 5p a minute thereafter | Weekday Peak 15p per minute Weekday off Peak 5p per minute Weekend 5p per minute (also including calls to Vodafone) |
| Price of calls to fixed lines | 15p per minute for first five minutes of use each day and 5p a minute thereafter | Weekday Peak 15p per minute Weekday off Peak 5p per minute Weekend 3p per minute |
| Price calls to mobiles of other networks | 35p | Weekday Peak 40p per minute Weekday off Peak 30p per minute Weekend 30p per minute |
| WAP | 15p per minute for first five minutes of use each day and 5p a minute thereafter | Weekday Peak 10p per minute Weekday off Peak 10p per minute Weekend 10p per minute |
