O2 is heading for a massive own goal in Ireland where it recently launched the iPhone. After the announcement last week the 02 Ireland CEO said – in an amazing display of barely concealed contempt – “I’d say your Apple freaks will be queuing out the door when we launch”. This really does show that they mis-understand the sophistication of the Irish mobile market, which, by indication, has a plethora of mobile and telecoms startups.
The biggest complaint is about the tarrifs. As well as there being no visual voicemail for the Irish iPhone, the comparison between the UK and Irish tariff is insulting:
35.00 GBP = 45.81 EUR
o2 – UK
£35 – 600mins – 500texts
o2 – Ireland
€45 – 175mins – 100texts
In other words O2 Ireland is ripping off Irish mobile consumers. It can’t be better put than by MaxRoam startup CEO Pat Phelan, who is doing the rounds of the Irish news media today about the Issue (Qik video below).
Rip-off or no (it looks like it), in fairness “Apple freaks” looks to me just to mean “people who love Apple products”, of whom there are many. She wouldn’t suggest in public that the people who would buy the product she’d just been praising were crazy in some kind of way.
MaxRoam startup CEO Pat Phelan ???
He’s on your blog every week on so. He’s not trying to promote MaxRoam ?
He would promote his bloody company while sleeping.
lol@PR pro
Obviously a disgruntled web 1.0 version
@PR pro – you can’t be a PR pro if you’re afraid to promote your name beside your stupid comment.