Orange to raise monthly mobile charges by 4.3%

More and more people are becoming dependent on their mobiles, and it’s easy to see why. Because of the technology available today, you can access almost anything anytime you choose to on your tiny mobile device. You can browse the web, check your email, go online to chat, purchase items, stream videos, and so on and so forth. As a result, mobile telecommunications companies are pushing for upgrades to their networks. You can also expect your mobile phone subscription bills to go up.

First up to increase their charges is Orange. The operator is one that has a largely satisfied customer base, since it was one of the firms that topped Ofcom’s list of the best UK mobile phone provider.

In that survey, Orange had received a score of 72 out of a possible 100 in terms of consumer satisfaction. Claudio Pollack, Ofcom’s consumer group director, stated: “Ofcom hopes this research will both incentivise providers to improve all aspects of their customer service, as well as give consumers valuable information about the standards of customer service when choosing a provider.”

However, this is news that Orange subscribers won’t be welcoming with open arms. Orange has announced that the monthly charges for pay-monthly mobile customers who signed on to the company before mid-September will experience an increase of 4.3%.

The change will affect the price of subscribers who have monthly call plans. Charges for text messaging and other plans will not be affected. Most customers will have their charges upgraded by January 8 of next year.

Orange stated: “Unfortunately, we’ve had to re-evaluate our prices for the first time and are sorry to say that there will be a 4.34% increase in our monthly plan prices … This is lower than the retail prices index (RPI) measure of inflation, which currently stands at 5.4%. Out-of-plan charges, such as calls, texts and data, will not be changing.”

Orange blames the high rate of inflation for the increase. This is allowable under its terms and conditions, which states that Orange can increase its charges in any 1-year period by up to the RPI figure, without giving its customers the right to cancel their subscriptions.

Source – The Guardian