Telecom Italia Wireline Services, Telecom´s Business Unit for fixed-line telephony and corporate internet services, today unveils "Teleconomy", Italy´s first ever flat-rate pricing system -- one price, all day, every day -- which is destined to significantly alter the voice telephony market in Italy.
The Teleconomy range has been designed to cater to the needs of all types of customer, whether they be residential, professional or SME. The most competitive range of services on the market, Teleconomy comes in a number of versions designed specifically to optimize telephone spending, while providing greater incentives to Internet use.
Residential customers can choose between the following options:
- Teleconomy 24. For a monthly subscription fee of 9000 lire offers flat rate charges of 24 lire per minute (not including 100 lire on answer) for local and long-distance calls. Subscribers to Teleconomy 24 benefit from a 35% discount on international calls, and 5% off calls to mobile phones. Teleconomy 24 also offers Web navigation at a flat rate of just 15 lire per minute.
- Teleconomy No Stop. For 89,000 lire per month offers free calls anywhere in Italy, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and free Web surfing for 20 hours each month. Once the 20 hours have been used up, subscribers benefit from a special flat rate fee of just 15 lire per minute.
Until 31 August, new subscribers to Teleconomy No Stop do not have to pay anything for connecting to the Internet on their chosen POP (Point of Presence).
An additional 35% discount on international calls applies, plus 5% off calls to mobile phones. Teleconomy 24 and Teleconomy No Stop available over ISDN lines as well.
Teleconomy for the business market, specifically for professionals and SMEs, launches in late June. This package has been devised for all businessmen and women who wish to enhance their activities by making the most of the many opportunities opened up by telecommunications, while at the same time improving efficiency by keeping their phone bills down.
Subscribers to Teleconomy Affari 24 pay a monthly subscription charge of 9000 lire, in exchange for which they may make local and long-distance calls at a flat rate of just 24 lire per minute (not including 127 lire charged on answer). Calls to TIM mobile phones are billed at a flat rate of 419 lire per minute, or 440 lire to other operators (as above, not including 127 lire on answer). Special rates are also available for international calls, for instance, calls to Western Europe and North America are charged at 250 lire per minute (not including 500 lire charged on answer). This flat rate falls to just 190 lire per minute, on payment of an additional 3000 lire monthly subscription charge.
Customers who wish to use Teleconomy Affari 24 over ISDN lines, are required to pay a monthly surcharge of 5000 lire.
The above prices do not include VAT at 20%.
"Teleconomy," says Rocco Sabelli, Head of Wireline Services, "concludes Telecom Italia´s renewal of its voice services range, which began with the launch of the first offers targeted at specific customer groups.
Teleconomy24 and Teleconomy NoStop enhance our product portfolio; they usher in new features that respond to our customers´ great desire for ease of use and freedom, by doing away with time bands and distance bands across the country, and by introducing to voice services the "always on" connection typical of broadband Internet use."