Orange does flat-rate data bundles

Orange has introduced flat-rate mobile data bundles for the first time.

The mobile operator's contract customers will be able to sign up for a bundle allowing them unlimited surfing for £8 per month. A bundle for evening and weekend browsing is priced at £5 per month. Alternatively, customers can opt for a daily cap of £1 per day.

The bundles make Orange the latest operator to adopt a flat-rate approach to its mobile data pricing. 3, T-Mobile and Vodafone already offer flat-rate pricing.

The operators do, however, take differing approaches to the types of traffic they allow. 3 is relatively liberal, as is T-Mobile, although the latter operator demands a premium if customers use VoIP or instant messaging. Orange and Vodafone both ban the use of VoIP and IM.

An Orange spokesperson said: "The bundled prices won't include VoIP or IM. We advise against using [those services] as yet."

David Meyer writes for ZDNet UK