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TalkTalk announces sharp price rises for phone and broadband services [New Vision (Uganda)](New Vision (Uganda) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) TalkTalk has joined BT and Sky in announcing large, above-inflation price hikes for its home phone/broadband customers that will hit customer bills on 1 December. The budget provider, which shook up the market with the first "free" broadband offer, said the cost of its landline is to rise from £15.95 to £16.70 per month – a 4.7% increase. Customers who still take TalkTalk's old "Plus" calls and broadband bundle will be charged an extra £3, paying £18.50 per month. The company's SimplyBroadband, Essentials TV and Plus TV packages remain unchanged. TalkTalk customers who take its popular Anytime UK Calls Boost will face the biggest increase – it rises from £5 a month to £7.50 – but the increase will be partly offset by the fact that the package will include calls to UK mobiles for the first time. The call connection fee on TalkTalk's phone network (payable on every chargeable call) will increase by 1p to 16p on 1 January 2015. In recent years TalkTalk has expanded fast, with its aggressive phone/internet pricing and budget TV alternative to Sky, and now supplies 4m homes. Currently it is spending heavily as sponsor of ITV's The X Factor. Customers who don't like the changes have been told that they can "cancel by contacting the firm within 30 days of receiving their price notification letter". Unlike Sky and BT, which have already announced their 6% price hikes (both come into force on 1 December), TalkTalk has resisted the temptation to start charging customers for its 1571 answerphone service. BT now charges more than £22 a year for the service, while Sky customers will soon start paying £12 a year to hear their messages. TalkTalk said it had sought to ease the pain to its highest paying TV Plus customers by offering them a free mobile sim card worth up to £90 a year. A TalkTalk spokesman defended the changes: "Our customers are talking, watching, streaming and downloading more than ever, not just at home but on the go. To meet their growing needs, we're adding more to their packages. Mobile now comes as standard for our Plus customers, as we've included a free sim worth £90. "We're also introducing more ways for customers to save money on their bills each month. As we continue to invest in improvements to our service, some prices will increase. TalkTalk still remains Britain's lowest price, offering a saving of up to £184 a year in comparison to BT." Each year around this time the phone companies take their cue from BT and hike charges. BT announced its rise in August, and Sky followed suit last week. Virgin Media traditionally announces its price increases in November, and is expected to match the previous 6% increases. Inflation is currently running at just 1.2%. COPYRIGHT (c) 2014 NEWVISION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |