One of the commenters on Shaun’s post over at PDA-247.com about my Vodafone rants this week highlighted the sad and ridiculous reality of our mobile network marketplace. The reader, tTeabag, comments thus:
My company moved over to BT Business Mobile and on my first business trip to Europe after the change over I was staggered to see that we had been charged £8 per Mb for data while roaming… and as for my next trip to the US…
http://business.bt.com/mobile/mobile-tariffs/business-circle-complete/int-calling-pricing/
I have to confess I didn’t quite believe Teabag. 8 pounds per megabyte? Surely not. That’s back to 2003 pricing, is it not?
Teabag wasn’t wrong.
That’s right. BT Business Mobile will charge you a WHOPPING £8.00 per megabyte when you’re in France, Germany, Greece — well, basically wherever Vodafone has a European operating company.
After that, you’re really fcked. And I mean crazily fcked.
If you think I had a point moaning about Vodafone’s ridiculous £3/meg data charges roaming in the United States, what do you think BT Business Mobile charges for the same service?
Are you ready?
Are you sitting comfortably?
Standby to be absolutely horrified.
£14.
That’s right.
I SHIT YOU NOT.
Fourteen pounds per megabyte!
You can use the link from Teabag above to check it out for yourself. A few years ago I would have considered this nigh-on criminal. But now — in 2010 — I think it’s simply embarrassing.
BT Business Mobile: You are an utter embarrassment to the mobile industry.
I think it’s time to name-and-shame the company’s customers. If you know any companies stupid enough to have given their business to BT Business Mobile, I’d like to know.
You need your head examined if you’re using BT Business Mobile, you really do.
Perhaps the most embarrassing thing concerning BT and Mobile is they demerged Cellnet and eventually sold to Telefonica back in the day? – BT’s mobile position been floundering ever since.
Absolutely right. Why did they bother establishing an MVNO again?