STOCKHOLM, Sweden, May 17, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Under the slogan "Med Vodafone ar utomlands som hemma" Vodafone Sweden will announce several new services which will simplify and bring better value to Vodafone customers when roaming. The first service to be launched is Vodafone Passport that allow Vodafone Sweden's mobile customers travelling abroad to call home at Swedish prices when using Vodafone's network. The only surcharge is the connection fee of just SEK 9.95 per call.
Customers can also take incoming calls from Sweden lasting up to 20 minutes for only SEK 9.95. Vodafone has waived the minute price on incoming calls received abroad. The Vodafone Passport service is available from 1 June 2005. Thanks to Vodafone's global size, it will be much simpler for Vodafone Sweden's customers to keep track of outgoing and incoming call costs incurred abroad -- good news with the summer holidays just around the corner! It will also be much cheaper to make longer call home and to take incoming calls from Sweden.
"People are travelling more than before(a) and they expect to be able to use their mobile phones abroad as they do at home. Thanks to our global size, unlike any other operator in Sweden, we can offer customers unique prices and services that also apply abroad. Vodafone Passport is such a service, which should appeal to both business customers and holiday makers," says Geraldine Wilson, Chief Commercial Director, Vodafone Sweden. With the new Vodafone Passport tariff, Vodafone's customers pay the same minute prices abroad as they would at home if they use Vodafone's network in the country they are visiting. The only surcharge is the international connection fee of SEK 9.95 per call, as well as the Swedish start-up fee included in subscriptions and prepay cards.
(a) This means, for example, that customers with Vodafone Abonnemang pay SEK 0.79 per minute (all day long) both at home and when on holiday in Spain (if they use Vodafone Spain's network). A six-minute call to Sweden, for example, costs only SEK 15.50 (SEK 9.95 for the connection fee + SEK 0.79 for the subscription start-up fee + 6 x minute price of SEK 0.79). Telia's customers pay as much as SEK 58.10 for the same call, while Comviq's customers pay SEK 48.50 for a six-minute call from Spain to Sweden.
(a) Incoming calls from Sweden are also much cheaper for Vodafone's customers as they only pay a SEK 9.95 connection fee for a 20-minute call when using Vodafone network in the country they are visiting. After the 20 minutes have elapsed, SEK 9.95 is debited at following 20-minute intervals.
Vodafone Passport is a global initiative that in Sweden apply to both subscription and prepay customers, and for consumers and business customers alike. The tariff is ideal for Swedish mobile users who make calls mainly to other Swedish subscribers or who receive calls from Sweden when travelling abroad. With Vodafone Passport, Vodafone is tackling a familiar problem in the industry, namely confusing pricing structures and huge price differences common in telephony services abroad today.
"With our new tariff which can be subscribed to free of charge customers no longer have to worry about runaway call costs from phoning home while on holiday abroad. Just make sure that you use Vodafone's network in the country you visit and your calls to and from Sweden will cost the same as they do at home, with the addition of the fixed international connection fee," says Geraldine Wilson, Chief Commercial Director, Vodafone Sweden.
Vodafone Passport apply for following countries for Vodafone Sweden customers Vodafone Sweden customers can use the Vodafone Passport service in the following countries, several of which are hugely popular travel destinations for Swedes: UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Australia, New Zeeland, Hungary, Albania, Japan and Malta. More countries will be added to the list.
Order Vodafone Passport by SMS from 1 June 2005
Vodafone Passport is a supplementary service that Vodafone Sweden's customers can order either through Customer Services, via Vodafone Sweden's website, in Vodafone's stores or by simply sending an SMS with the text "RESA" to speed-dial number 222. The service is just as simple to order abroad as it is at home and has no subscription charge. With no subscription, standard Vodafone World prices apply.
The Swedish Civil Aviation Administration's report from 2005, "Flygets Utveckling 2004" According to the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration (Luftfartsstyrelsen), the number of passengers on international flights from Swedish airports rose by 1.6 million between 2003 -- 2004, an increase of 10.7 per cent. Countries such as Spain and Greece are by far the most popular charter holiday destinations.
Appendix: Price comparisons
Much cheaper to call home with Vodafone Sweden than with competitors In virtually all telephony traffic, Vodafone Passport means cheaper calls for Vodafone Sweden's customers when compared both with Vodafone's standard prices and with what Swedish competitors can offer (the exception being for very short calls and calls to non-Swedish subscriptions in the country you are visiting or a third country).
The difference in the price of a six-minute call made from Spain to Sweden with Vodafone when compared with Telia and Comviq is huge. Customers with Vodafone Abonnemang and Vodafone Passport pay SEK 15.50; Telia's customers pay SEK 58.10 for the same call, a difference of SEK 42.60. Comviq's customers pay SEK 48.50(with Telefonica as roaming partner) -- which is SEK 33 more than Vodafone Sweden's customers.
Price examples: Mobile calls to Sweden from Germany, Spain or Greece. Competitors' price quotations (subscription customers) have been taken from their websites.
Cost with
Calls to Vodafone
Sweden Passport
From.. Call (with
duration Vodafone Tele2/
(minutes) Abonnemang) Telia Comviq Tre
Germany 2 min SEK 12,30 SEK 19,40 SEK 21,80 SEK 23,10
4 min SEK 13,90 SEK 38,80 SEK 43,60 SEK 46,10
6 min SEK 15,50 SEK 58,10 SEK 65,40 SEK 69,20
15 min SEK 22,60 SEK 145,4 SEK 163,4 SEK 173,0
Spain 2 min SEK 12,30 SEK 19,40 SEK 19 SEK 20,10
4 min SEK 13,90 SEK 38,80 SEK 33,70 SEK 35,70
6 min SEK 15,50 SEK 58,10 SEK 48,50 SEK 51,30
15 min SEK 22,60 SEK 145,4 SEK 114,9 SEK 121,6
Greece 2 min SEK 12,30 SEK 19,40 SEK 14,80 SEK 15,60
4 min SEK 13,90 SEK 38,80 SEK 29,50 SEK 31,20
6 min SEK 15,50 SEK 58,10 SEK 44,30 SEK 46,90
15 min SEK 22,60 SEK 145,4 SEK 110,7 SEK 117,1
Calculation base: 1 Euro = SEK 9.08
Prices are quoted in SEK and include VAT.
All quoted prices are for peak-rate calls to Sweden to Swedish mobile subscriptions.
Telia's prices are based on its pricing for roaming in Europe (information from www.telia.se). Telia's prices apply to T-Mobile's network in Germany, Telefonica Movistar in Spain and TIM in Greece.
Comviq's pricing applies to T-Mobile's network in Germany, Telefonica Movistar in Spain and Cosmote in Greece.
3's pricing applies to T-Mobile's network in Germany, Telefonica Movistar in Spain and Cosmote in Greece
Vodafone Sweden waives minute price for incoming calls One problem that many mobile users face abroad is having to pay the minute price on incoming calls from Sweden. Not Vodafone Sweden's customers, however, who only pay a connection fee of SEK 9.95 for incoming calls from Sweden when in a Vodafone Passport country and inside Vodafone's network. You get a full 20 minutes of call-time for the price (after your 20 minutes is up, SEK 9.95 is debited at the following 20-minute intervals).
This means that Swedish Vodafone customers visiting Spain, for example, can take calls from Sweden for only SEK 9.95 for a 6-minute call. Telia's mobile customers pay SEK 33 for a 6 minute call (with Telefonica as roaming partner), while Comviq's customers pay a whopping SEK 36.78. If customers receive even longer calls, for example a 15 minute call, a Comviq customer has to pay SEK 82 more than a Vodafone Sweden customer.
Price example: receive incoming calls from Sweden to the mobile phone when visiting Germany, Spain or Greece.
Receive call Call Cost of
from Sweden duration Vodafone Tele2/
in.. (minutes Passport Telia Comviq Tre
Germany 2 SEK 9,95 SEK 11 SEK 11 kr SEK 10
4 SEK 9,95 SEK 22 SEK 22 kr SEK 20
6 SEK 9,95 SEK 33 SEK 33 SEK 30
15 SEK 9,95 SEK 82,50 SEK 82,50 SEK 75
Spain 2 SEK 9,95 SEK 11 SEK 12,26 SEK 10
4 SEK 9,95 SEK 22 SEK 24,52 SEK 20
6 SEK 9,95 SEK 33 SEK 36,78 SEK 30
15 SEK 9,95 SEK 82,50 91,95 75
Greece 2 SEK 9,95 SEK 11 SEK 12,26 SEK 10
4 SEK 9,95 SEK 22 SEK 24,52 SEK 20
6 SEK 9,95 SEK 33 SEK 36,78 SEK 30
15 SEK 9,95 SEK 82,50 SEK 91,95 SEK 75
Calculation base: 1 Euro = SEK 9.08
Prices are quoted in SEK and include VAT
Telia's prices are based on Telia Mobil (30,100,300) and its international pricelist - SEK 5.50 /min for incoming calls in Spain, Germany and Greece.
Comviq's prices are based on Comviq Knock Out and its international pricelist - SEK 5.50 /min for incoming calls in Germany and SEK 6.13/min in Greece and Spain.
3's prices are quoted from its international pricelist (www.tre.se)
This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net
The following files are available for download:
http://wpy.waymaker.net/client/waymaker1/WOLReleaseFile.aspx?id=98797&fn=wkr0001.pdf