Vodafone Australia has released the ability to register for the the launch of its upcoming NBN services. If you’re already a Vodafone customer, then its likely you’ll be keen to jump on board. To register your interest, just head to http://www.vodafone.com.au/contact/nbn ahead of the service becoming available later this year.
Vodafone has 5.5 million mobile customers, so when they enter a new, incredibly crowded market like broadband, its likely to make a few competitors nervous and a few customers awfully excited.
Vodafone General Manager of Fixed Matthew Lobb said the company is excited to be launching a fixed broadband product for homes and small businesses by the end of the 2017 to complement the Vodafone mobile network.
“We want to make sure our customers have the freedom and choice to stay connected the way they want – at home, at work or on the go.
Australians will soon be able to interchangeably use their mobile and fixed broadband to stream music and video, send messages, make purchases, or grow their business.”
Mobile and NBN bundle
We reached out to Vodafone to check their definition of ‘interchangably’ for mobile and fixed broadband services. Unfortunately this isn’t the massive breakthrough we were hoping for. This simply relates to the combined billing of services, not a combined data cap.
Consumers shouldn’t have to think about what they can do online and where, they should be able to go about their lives, consuming internet from wherever they are and ultimately have that cost the same. Vodafone (and other ISPs) could amortize the cost differences between mobile and NBN infrastructure and simply give customers one bill, one data cap.
Personally I pay $80 for FTTP NBN and around the same for mobile, however for similar prices, I get unlimited data at home and just 11GB on mobile. Even if you’re on a metered plan like 200-500GB at home, being able to tap into that data cap from your mobile would essentially kill the possibility of going over your cap and costing you more money. The financial disincentive for carriers to implement this change is clear for all to see, but the first mover advantage may win customers to value of more than that what’s at stake with overages.
No word on bundle pricing, but expect some kind of discounting for putting both your mobile and NBN through Vodafone or the advantages of a bundled service would simply become a single bill.
“It’s always Vodafone’s desire to push the status quo when looking at new ways to meet customer needs, and the launch of fixed broadband services will be no different.”
Mr Lobb said the Expressions of Interest will allow interested customers to be the first to know where and when Vodafone’s fixed broadband offer will be available ahead of the launch.
“For those customers who pre-register with us, we’ll get in touch directly in the lead up to launch to find out more about their fixed broadband needs and how we can provide them with the best solution.
Despite the potential of the NBN, many consumers have told Vodafone they are unhappy with their existing fixed broadband provider. They are frustrated by the poor connection experience, confused about their options, and when things go wrong they feel they are left in the lurch. As always, I suggest signing up for month-to-month when moving to the NBN and if your provider isn’t delivering the service expected, you can switch easily, rather than trying to exit a 2 year contract.
It is worth reminding you that Vodafone will be delivering its fixed broadband service via the NBN only in selected areas with additional information on plans, pricing, locations and dates coming closer to launch.
If you want to register your interest, do so via the Expression of Interest form at http://www.vodafone.com.au/contact/nbn
