News

BT Fusion gets a rival - from BT itself - which matches Orange mobile deal

by Tim Richardson | posted on 18 March 2006

BT has taken a sideswipe at Orange as it looks to poach more punters in the lucrative small biz market. It has also taken a sideswipe at its own BT Fusion fixed-mobile offering.

Last month, France Telecom's subsidiary cellco Orange announced plans to offer fixed line phone services to business users in the UK. Piggybacking on the Cable & Wireless (C&W) network, the French-owned business said its Landline for Business service would provide fixed line services with call charges up to 20 per cent cheaper than BT.

Now, BT has launched its own fixed and mobile calls combo called "BT Business Plan with Mobile", which, it tells us, has been on trial since July last year. Apparently, it offers SMEs one bill, an annual five per cent discount on combined fixed and mobile calls, capped rates on fixed line calls, and preferential rates on mobile to mobile and mobile to the office calls.

And, in a pop at its rival, BT Business MD Bill Murphy said: "This plan goes significantly further than the offering from competitors like Orange. Their price comparisons are made against our standard rate, a rate which most of our BT Business Plan customers do not pay.

"What's more, this service is already working, it's available now and it's been on trial successfully since July, delivering tangible benefits to customers."

Tags: BT Fusion or fixed mobile and of course, Orange