Meteor unveils plans to take on O2 and Vodafone


22 Nov 2004

Feisty mobile operator Meteor has introduced a new ‘no restrictions’ post-pay plan that it claims will offer business customers who move to its network savings of €30 a month or 37pc on a competing plan from Vodafone. The company revealed that the plan is the first of many to compete with O2 and Vodafone across all market segments.

Kicking in tomorrow, the plans have been described by newly appointed Meteor chief executive Robert Haulbrook as: “The first move of many planned for the months ahead, aimed at competing directly and successfully with the big two operators in all market segments.”

The Meteor CEO noted that the company had its strongest quarter since launch, adding 29,500 customers in the third quarter of this year.

Haulbrook said all indications are for accelerated and sustained growth as Meteor is now finally competing on an equal footing since the launch of national roaming gave the network national coverage.

“These plans are for any time of the day or night and for calls to any network and we feel this is the way call plans should be structured,” said Haulbrook. “Business customers should not be penalised for using their phone during business hours and they should be able to compare clear and simple prices on all networks. This is the way we intend to approach all segments of the personal and business markets.

“I hear all the time that Irish people talk more and our own usage figures suggest that is the case,” Haulbrook continued, “but Meteor feels that people who talk more should get better value and so we are now starting the process of significantly cutting call costs for bill paying customers.

“We have always said that we would compete strongly in the postpay and business sectors when we had the coverage and the services that the market needs, and when the market was ready for us.

“Now we have the coverage, the market wants and needs lower cost options, and we have the credibility,” he continued. “People know we forced call costs down in the prepay market and they know we are the only network that can and will do the same for bill paying customers,” Haulbrook concluded.

By John Kennedy