Vodafone's new plans lift the ceiling on data limits
Vodafone has tweaked its mobile Red Plans, offering higher data limits and the ability to chew through unlimited data in the first 2 months of the plan.
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The key changes include increased data limits, the inclusion of 13 and 1800 numbers in the infinite talk allowance and a change to automated data add-ons for new and upgrading customers.
Vodafone has also introduced a new Data Workout inclusion, offering customers unlimited data for the first two months of their plan to help them "understand their data usage patterns".
"In an Australian first, customers can use as much data as they like within Australia during the first two months to find out what data inclusion they need each month over a 12 or 24-month contract," Vodafone said in a statement.
During the two-month Data Workout, customers will pay the regular monthly cost of their plan. At the end of this period, Vodafone will contact customers "to help them understand their data usage patterns and recommend the right plan for their data needs".
The announcement follows a similar move from Telstra, which has introduced 25GB of extra data for customers on eligible plans for the first month of their contract.
Speaking of additional data, Vodafone has bumped up the data allowances from the original limits set when the Red Plans were introduced in 2013.
The 24-month Red Plans will now come in AU$70, AU$80 and AU$100 tiers, offering 3GB, 4GB and 6GB of data respectively (up on the original caps of 1.5GB, 2.5G and 5GB that were included when the plans launched in 2013).
These plans include infinite standard national calls and text as well as 300 minutes of international calls and infinite overseas texting. In a first for the telco, 13 and 1800 numbers will be included in this infinite allowance (in-line with a recent industry initiative announced by ACMA to simplify billing of these calls).
The regular Red Plans are bundled with handsets, but Vodafone will once again offer SIM-only Red Plans (at a slightly reduced cost compared with last year) for AU$50 (3GB), AU$60 (4GB) and AU$80 (6GB).
For both the Red Plans and SIM-only Plans, existing customers can still choose to buy a Data Booster if they reach their cap, forking out AU$10 for 1GB which will expire at the end of that month. Users will be advised via text with the choice to opt in for the increase.
However, new and upgrading customers will automatically be charged AU$10 for a 1GB 'Data Top-Up' if they go over their limit. Vodafone has confirmed that these users will not be able to opt out of the top-up.