A mobile provider gets it
It looks like 3 gets how most people would like to use the web on their mobile with their X-series. No walled garden, reasonable data allowance (500Mb $20 a month, 1Gb $30 a month and 2Gb $40 a month) and bundled extras.
I have seen some complaints, the data allowance is capped (with an excess charge of 30c/Mb) unlike the UK offering or Telstra’s hiptop2 (which has big limitations compared to the phones offered by 3), it is restricted to 4 models of phones only which you have to get from 3 (which is 3 more models than the UK) and Skype is limited to 1000 minutes a month and only to other Skype users.
So what, the offer is far superior to anything offered by the other mobile providers in Australia at the moment. I hope the other providers follow suit, but do not hold your breath, none have tried to match 3’s mobile broadband package of 1Gb a month for $49 (which now seems expensive). Also our American and Canadian counterparts will be green with envy, there is nothing similar at anywhere near this price there.
I am a 3 customer and that is my only relationship with the company. I am not happy that 3 offer the Xseries for the Dopod 810U but not my Dopod 838Pro, they are almost identical except the 838Pro has a QWERTY keyboard. Hopefuly there is firmware upgrade for the 838Pro in the near future which will let me take up the Xseries on my phone. Also as a 3 mobile broadband customer paying $49 a month for 1Gb, I am envious of 2Gb for $40 a month.