01.Woolworths enters the mobile phone market
Woolworths has entered the mobile phone market, offering a new pre-paid service in conjunction with Optus.
The Woolworths Everyday Mobile SIM-only service has a 15-cent flagfall and allows users to text and talk for 15 cents per standard text message or every 30 seconds of talk time.
The supermarket and retail giant says the service is designed to offer Australian consumers simple and low-cost mobile phone rates, and is selling SIM cards for $2 in several of its stores.
“It’s good to have new entrants on the market to increase competition,” says CHOICE spokesperson Christopher Zinn, who argues that although text messages are cheaper with similar deals from others providers, it may be worth comparing deals if you talk on the phone regularly.
“Woolies are purporting to offer a competitive product which could increase transparency in the telecommunications market,” says Zinn. “We can only hope they do this in their core business too.”