The move includes the introduction of a free (up to) 8 Meg home broadband reward for Pay Monthly (PAYM) customers and free Broadband for Business for small business customers. It also follows Orange UK’s Chief Executive, Tom Alexander’s strategic announcement earlier this year which detailed plans to ‘improve’, ‘grow’ and ‘evolve’ the company.
Orange is offering the Home Starter package to its new mobile PAYM customers for free, providing them with an increased download speed and usage allowance. The package, available on an 18 month contract with no connection fee, also comes with a wireless router and Orange’s home phone service, allowing users to make inclusive weekend and evening calls to UK landline numbers. Additionally, Orange mobile PAYM customers will be offered the chance to upgrade to the Home Select or Home Max packages, with a £10 per month discount on each, should they wish to do so.
From later this year, small business customers signing up to an Orange Solo plan will receive free Broadband for Business for the length of their contract. Orange Broadband for Business offers unlimited downloads, speeds of up to 8 Meg and includes free business grade customer support to ensure small business owners can easily keep on top of their email and make orders on the web. Orange also offers managed installation of Broadband for Business to ensure customers are up and running as quickly as possible.
It’s not just Orange mobile customers that benefit, with new standalone broadband customers also being offered some of the best value packages on the market. Orange’s Home Select and Home Max packages offer unlimited data downloads and an inclusive Livebox (Orange wireless router) which can connect up to six computers at any one time, enabling customers to make any-time calls to 30 countries, UK landlines and Orange mobiles free of charge. In addition, customers on Home Max receive Orange’s home phone service and can save up to £11 per month on their BT line rental as this is included in the package price.
The move follows the largest set of improvements to the company’s fixed line broadband service to date. By implementing closer monitoring systems and upgrading its existing LLU equipment, Orange has radically improved the stability of service its customers receive. Furthermore, by investing in network capacity, Orange customers are now receiving faster speeds and a more reliable service. These network improvements have been matched by changes in Orange’s broadband customer service, ensuring calls are now answered more quickly, and employees are empowered to deal with problems more effectively.
Speaking on the announcement, Mike Newnham, Vice President of Consumer, Orange UK said: "We have spent the past 12 months working hard on fixing the basics. As a result we’ve seen huge improvements in the quality of our broadband network and the service we offer, and our customers are already providing us with some extremely positive feedback. That’s why today we’re able to unveil an up to 8 Meg Home Broadband service as standard for new customers right across our broadband offering.”