Vodafone Malta slashes roaming rates for EU countries by 40%

Vodafone Malta announced on Friday that it has slashed its roaming rates for EU countries by an average of 40 per cent when compared to Summer 2005. This is possible due to the launch of its new Vodafone World Rate plan.

The plan is available for both pre-paid and post-paid customers and has no peak and off-peak rates. These reductions on roaming calls apply to both Vodafone preferred and non-preferred networks within the EU27 footprint.

Customers choosing the Vodafone preferred networks will benefit from even further reductions.

With Vodafone World, customers will benefit from one low, simple rate at 30c per minute on pre-paid and 28c per minute on post-paid when calling Malta from anywhere in the EU simply by selecting the Vodafone preferred network.

With Vodafone World making calls abroad is simpler than ever and the rates are easier to understand. For example, a call when roaming in the UK had over 100 price points; today a customer need only remember four price points at any time of the day.

"We're making sure that our roaming prices offer our customers simplicity and value for money," Hatem Dowidar, CEO of Vodafone Malta, said. "That's precisely what they get from our new Vodafone World rate plan. These new tariffs are available on more than 340 networks worldwide.

"We're reducing the cost of mobile roaming within the EU by an average of 40 per cent ahead of any future reductions currently contemplated by the EU authorities."

Vodafone also introduced the Infotext service, enabling customers to check roaming call rates by sending an SMS containing the words FROM + the name of the visiting country to 5091-5791 prior to their departure from Malta.

The service is free locally and will be charged at the standard applicable SMS rates while roaming. Customers will receive an text message with rates for outgoing and incoming calls on preferred and other networks where applicable. Pre-paid customers will also receive the cost per SMS.

To simplify the pricing structure, the countries have been grouped into five zones instead of nine, with Zone 1 referring to all the EU countries. A list of all the zones and applicable tariffs, including Vodafone's preferred networks, is available on Vodafone's Website www.vodafone. com.mt.

Travel Promise, launched in 2005, remains Vodafone's main roaming proposition for post-paid customers and will be available to customers roaming in all major EU countries, including other non-EU countries, such as Australia and Japan.

Customers only pay a connection fee of 50c per call and then pay the same call rate of their chosen domestic tariff plan when calling the visited country or Malta.

When receiving calls, while roaming on EU Travel Promise Networks, customers will be charged 30c for every 10 minutes while for non-EU Travel Promise Networks the rate will be 50c for every 10 minutes per call.

There is no distinction between peak and off peak rates on Travel Promise hence offering the customer a simple tariff structure.

With effect from July 1, Vodafone Malta is also launching a new data roaming tariff enabling customers to surf the Internet, check e-mail and access their business network when roaming abroad for a flat rate fee of Lm5.15 for every day of use. The tariff will be available to all customers with mobile-enabled laptops and will significantly lower the cost of data roaming for business customers and consumers.

Building on the strong platform of 3G, Vodafone has recently been rolling out faster technologies, such as HSDPA, which is now available in 11 European markets.

"With the simplicity and value of Vodafone World, our customers have fewer prices to remember and guaranteed best value whenever they select the Vodafone Preferred network abroad," Mr Dowidar said. "The new simple flat rates give complete control while travelling throughout the world."

For more information, contact Vodafone Customer Service on 247 from your Vodafone, 9999-9247 from any other line or visit www.vodafone.com.mt.