[LINK] Cheaper mobile plans with ads

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Cheap mobile deal to serve up ads
Asher Moses August 26, 2008 - 2:35PM

http://www.theage.com.au/news/athome/cheap-mobile-deal-to-serve-up-
ads/2008/08/26/1219516449331.html

An Australian telco has announced new mobile plans that cost users less 
than half the usual price as long as they are willing to view 
advertisements.

ComTel, which operates on the Vodafone network, will market the plans 
under the SMSPup brand and claims it is the country's first advertising 
subsidised mobile phone service.

Advertising already supports newspapers, magazines and free-to-air 
television. Australian telcos have in the past tried to offer ad-supported 
home internet plans as well but none gained sufficient traction.

On a regular ComTel mobile plan without advertising, post-paid customers 
pay $29 a month for $130 worth of calls and messages.

Under the new plans, if they are willing to accept five advertising 
messages a day the price is slashed to $10 a month.

"The advertising will be a combination of SMS and MMS ads or email to your 
home internet address," ComTel COO Paul McFadden said.

"When a customer applies we ask them a series of questions about areas of 
interest, and where we think mobile advertising will be really relevant is 
matching people's interests to the ads."

McFadden said he did not believe the ads were intrusive or annoying. He 
said customers were not bound by a contract and could switch to the more 
expensive ad-free plan at any time.

Mark Novosel, telecommunications analyst at IDC Australia, said he 
expected the plans would appeal to the teen market but under 18s would be 
unable to sign up due to the lack of a pre-paid option.

"They're essentially cutting off their main potential target market," he 
said.

"As you get beyond 18, people will be less interested in having to put up 
with advertising in order to get the calls for free."

In launching the new venture, ComTel was inspired by the British service 
provider Blyk, which unveiled similar plans about September last year and 
claims to have picked up about 100,000 new customers since then.

Unlike the local plans, Blyk's advertisers covered the entire cost of the 
plans. McFadden said this was not yet possible locally without exposing 
customers to a barrage of ads.


--
Cheers people
Stephen Loosley
Victoria, Australia