Orange offers DIY price plans

Orange is to scrap different price plans and replace them with a single DIY package which customers can devise themselves.

From October 1 punters will be able to build their own plan from a range of choices. "Your Plan", as it's called, offers a variety of options including inclusive call time minutes and access to information services. Punters are also allowed to roll over unused messages and minutes to the next month.

And if customers uses all their inclusive minutes and messages from a bundle before the month is over, all additional calls and texts are charged at the same flat rate.

Orange reckons this move to simplify contract phone packages will turn the industry on its head and force other operators to follow suit.

"The UK mobile industry currently offers dozens of tariffs with many variations, leading to misunderstanding and uncertainty about service plans. Customers are presented with a confusing range of options rather then being able to choose the specific services that they want."

Elsewhere, Orange is to close its ISP from October 19 three years after it was originally set up.

However, only the access side of the ISP is to shut and its portal operation will continue.

Instead, Orange is advising its customers to switch to Freeserve (both Orange and Freesere are ultimately owned by France Telecom) where they can pick up the ISP's 24/7 unmetered service for £5.99 a month for six months, before reverting to the usual price of £13.99 a month. ®