Giffgaff Launches, First “People Powered” Mobile Phone Network
New SIM-only network Giffgaff launches today which claims to be “the first people powered network” and raises the exciting proposition of a forward thinking network that actually listens to its customers.
Taking it’s name from an old Scottish phrase meaning ‘mutual-giving’ and apparently inspired by the socially-minded phenomena such as Wikipedia, Giffgaff allows Giffgaffers (see what they did there?) to redeem the costs of their top-up through active involvement in their on-line community.
Giffgaff themselves seem to be keeping an open mind as activity could take any number of forms – offering useful advise to other users, recruiting new members or even doing Giffgaff’s marketing.
As an MVNO, Giffgaff will join the likes of piggyback on the back of O2 and the plan is that without the costs of their own masts, call centres and advertising budgets, Giffgaff can then pass on some of this benefit to their customers, much in the same way that Virgin Mobile initally sold capacity on T-Mobile’s network.
This has been done to with varying success in the past – the first commercially succesful MVNO being Virgin Mobile who initially sold capacity on T-Mobile’s network.
At the other end of the scale, Marks & Spencer mobile made a complete hash of it, but Giffgaff looks set to offer something genuinely exciting and ultimately of value to the UK consumer.
Previously, Giffgaff’s proposition had been met with a lukewarm response, largely because of the lack of absence of price-plan details, and also because of concerns over O2’s coverage.
However, Giffgaff released a more explicit list of call charges today – in addition to 8p per minute and 4p texts to other UK mobiles, members get free calls, texts and media messaging between other Giffgaffers.
Voicemail isn’t free mind, but pioneering Giffgaffers do enjoy free UK web browsing for up to the first 6 months, under the proviso that at some point they will charge for it, but in the interim are looking to hear people’s opinions on a fair price. 0800 numbers also remain free for Giffgaffers.
Significantly, Giffgaff seems intent on conversing with its customers - something which the other networks have been notoriously abysmal at doing.
We’ll have to wait and see what churn this gets on the UK mobile market over Christmas, but with belts tightening all around – anyone with an unlocked mobile phone at their disposal is likely to find Giffgaff’s outlook a real and exciting option.
Tags: giffgaff, network, o2, t-mobile, virgin mobile