Orange UK ‘Unlimited’ iPhone Deal May Ban Facebook, Spotify
9:26 am, November 3rd, 2009, Ed Sutherland
Orange UK Tuesday promised to review its terms of service that could effectively ban iPhone users from conducting anything but telephone calls. The uproar comes a day after British iPhone owners complained the carrier had placed a 750MB limit on its “unlimited” data plan.
In the latest turn of events, a BBC correspondent pointed to language in Orange UK’s Terms and Conditions which said its 3G network is “not to be used for other activities (eg using your handset as a modem, non-Orange Internet based streaming services, voice or video over the Internet, instant messaging, peer-to-peer file sharing, non-Orange Internet based video).”
The carrier warns “notice may be given and Network protection controls applied to all services which Orange does not believe constitutes mobile browsing.”
“It sounds as though services like Spotify, AudioBoo, Ustream and even Facebook messaging – increasingly popular with O2 iPhone customers – will be out of bounds for Orange users,” according to the BBC technology correspondent Cellan-Jones.
On Nov. 10, Orange is set to begin competing with O2, the UK’s current exclusive iPhone carrier, for customers of Apple’s handset. By contrast to Orange’s limits, O2’s fair usage statement indicates: “We reserve the right…to contact customers about their usage if we believe it adversely affects the service of our other customers, eg if a customer uses their SIM in another device for which it is not intended.”
In response to the BBC, an Orange spokesman said it would “review” the cap.
The crux of this current conflict appears to be the shifting view of the iPhone. Unlike other handsets that are phone first and data device second, the iPhone is increasingly used primarily as a data device to access the Internet.
Posted by Ed Sutherland in News | Comment on this article
HMMM somebody’s never read a carrier’s terms of service before. They all pretty much say that.
TRRosen, on November 3rd, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Just got off the phone with Orange, and apparently that isn’t true. All they want to do is ban voice calls with Skype etc. which still sucks but it’s the same as O2 are doing. All other services such as; downloading songs of iTunes, youtube etc. will be available. Also asked what the 750MB was suggesting, apparently if you go over this constantly they will just lower the internet speeds to your device, you will not get cut off.
Personally if this seriously does effect the iPhone performance on Orange the rules will change (eventually). Either way lets hope Vodafone learn from these mistakes!
Aled Rees, on November 5th, 2009 at 1:50 pm