After a last-minute court battle with Vodafone, Telecom's new XT network is finally here.
It's seen as Telecom's chance to battle with its rival on an equal footing, with new technology in place that allows faster service, a wider variety of compatible phones, and smoother global roaming.
But while Telecom can now offer multimedia and data service comparable to Vodafone, how does it fare with its new pricing structure?
What we like
Here's what we like about the new plans:
- The cost per minute for a call is the same whether it's peak or off-peak, and whether you're calling a Vodafone or Telecom phone.
- If you go over your monthly allowance, you'll be charged the same rate as your included minutes.
- There seems to be more flexibility when it comes to choosing from calling, texting and mobile data options compared with Vodafone's plans, which will suit people who don't make many calls.
- Telecom is also offering subsidies off their new phones for anyone who signs up to a 12 or 24-month contract.
Prepaid customers now pay by the second after the first minute, which should come as a relief. You'll also receive some bonus credit every time you top up - for example, putting $40 on your phone will net you a further $12. However, calls do cost a flat 89 cents per minute.
If you cut through the hype, Telecom has done a good job streamlining its service, but hasn't actually tampered with prices that much. Depending on your needs, you might be able to get a better deal than with Vodafone - but many users won't be swayed by what's on offer with the XT network.
We say
- If you're on a fixed-term plan on Telecom's old CDMA network, definitely see what deals you can get to switch to the new network.
- The phones being offered by Telecom are finally on par with its rival's line-up.
- If you're already with Vodafone, there might not be much here that will convince you to switch - but it's still worth looking into the pricing to make sure.
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all my friends have telecom phones and I object to haveing to pay an extra $8 a month to get 500 less txts. I am on the one bill plan and on xt i would have to pay another $15 dollars for 20 minutes call time i wouldn't use.I had been needing a new phone but waited for the new xt service. What a disappointment. Luckily i managed to find and buy a new cdma phone.Telecom are lucky i didn't choose vodafone.
Am I correct in thinking that if one has just recently bought a new phone i.e. 6months ago, that does not mean one is automatically connected to the new Telecom network ?????
I signed with Telecom XT on a Comboplan on the 30th May and bought a Nokia 6600 slide. What a disappointment! I could not receive or make calls from my office in Palmerston North hospital without losing the signal. I could only use the phone properly in one of the rooms in my house. I returned the phone to Telecom on the 7th June and requested to be reconnected to the old network. Telecom said they do not know what the problem is.
If you are not in need of a new phone Compass might be a good alternative. Their call and text rates a lot more competitive than either of the other networks and you don't have to sign up to a fixed term, offering you the flexibility to check out future market developments.
There is nothing special with the new plans, however I would suggest waiting a while to see how Vodafone will respond with their plans, then maybe XT will show their real hand. Also worth waiting until August to sign a contract to see what happens to prices on Vodafone and Telecom when 2 Degrees launches. Maybe then we will get some real competition.