Virgin Mobile Australia Introduces Data Rollover Service

Virgin Mobile Australia has introduced a data rollover service for new and existing customers. Subscribers will be able to rollover any unused data to the following month for use after that month’s data allowance is depleted. The operator is responding to a push from consumer groups as well as to results it received from a survey it conducted. Additionally, Virgin Mobile’s internal data logs suggest that while only 20 percent of its customers will exceed their data allowances in any given month, 40 percent will do so at least once during a six-month period.

Australia is served by three mobile operators and over 50 MVNOs. The country’s mobile penetration rate is over 130 percent, and although that figure continues to rise due to the use of multiple SIMS and connected devices by consumers, operators will need to develop innovative offers to increase revenue as well as to retain current subscribers and add to their base. These offers also need to meet customers’ needs, and Virgin Mobile received clear indication that losing data that was paid for was a clear grievance on the part of subscribers. According to David Scribner, chief executive of Virgin Mobile, Australian consumer groups asked to have rollover plans similar to those introduced by AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S. We believe this is a good move by the MVNO, not only because it gives subscribers what they want but also because Virgin Mobile is the first operator in Australia to offer this option. And if satisfying consumers’ needs is a strategy for success, Virgin is bound to attract more new customers this way than with bundles with unlimited data or discounted rates, which Australia’s MNOs are offering.

The above item appeared in a recent issue of The Tarifica Alert, a weekly resource that analyzes noteworthy developments in the telecoms industry from around the world. To access all of the latest articles and issues or to speak with the research team: http://www.tarifica.com/contactus.aspx