Customers of Vodafone UK’s contract-free mobile operator “youth brand” – VOXI – will soon to able to take their new 4G and 5G based “Endless Video” plans, which provides unlimited data (mobile broadband) to popular streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, My5, TVPlayer and UKTV Play.
The new tariffs will also include “Endless Social Media” (i.e. unlimited data for Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, Pinterest, Snapchat and Twitter) and 5G “at no extra cost.” Prices will start from £15 per month for 15GB of data (or 45GB for £20), albeit with Endless Social Media, Endless Video, unlimited calls, texts and picture messages included by default.
The change is significant because online video content, particularly from popular platforms like YouTube and Netflix, accounts for a significant amount of consumer data traffic on both fixed and mobile broadband networks. By making this free then it could make such content much more viable for mobile streaming, albeit without having to shell out more for a more expensive unlimited data tariff (e.g. VOXI’s Endless Data is £35 a month).
Customers currently on a 15GB or 45GB based 4G plan will also be automatically upgraded to a new Endless Video plans, for free, when their plan refreshes. All of this seems well timed to coincide with the return of children and older students to the classroom.
Dan Lambrou, Head of Youth and Mass segments at Vodafone UK, said:
“Video streaming is one of the most popular things our VOXI customers do on their phones and we’ve seen this increase over the last few months as they use video platforms and social media for a range of things like learning, socialising or simply entertainment. By adding Endless Video streaming to our existing Endless Social plans, our customers can enjoy the content they really want, without having to worry about their data usage.
With VOXI, young people have the freedom to access content and channels that they love, with simple, cost-effective price plans – on a mobile network they can count on.”
On the other hand, there’s no mention of other popular video streaming platforms, such as the BBC’s iPlayer, which is a bit of a disappointment but we guess you can’t have everything.
At the time of writing we couldn’t see these new video plans on their website, but we assume that will be updated later today.
UPDATE 1pm
The new plans are now live on VOXI’s site.
Well into my retirement, I’m a very happy “non-yoof” Voxi customer and would heartily recommend it to anyone, especially if converting from a “standard” Voda contract, where the migration is seamless with no SIM-swap needed. The current “12GB + Unlimited Calls & SMS @ £10 / month” offer is pretty decent, albeit without 5G access – but yet to find a real use case for that anyway.
Only gotchas to beware of are no 4G or WiFi calling (bit of a deal-breaker for some now that Voda have stopped selling their SureSignal, which Voxi does work with) and no WiFi hotspot access on eg London Underground.
YMMV…
no call waiting either. But I was very impressed with Voxi, especially when it was unlimited data on all their plans hah
If you have no 4G then you have a phone problem. I was on their unlimited data with 5G but now I am dropping to the £20 package. I have a tablet with 5G built in and I use it as my main phone/number as I work from home all day every day anyway
But I too am impressed with them.
As you say, no iPlayer… Yet?
My understanding of the EU Net Neutrality rules is that zero rating classes of traffic is permissible, but they can’t be discriminatory. That is, they will need a good reason to charge for iPlayer traffic, at least if there is demand for free iPlayer from customers or the BBC.
Blimey that £15 a month one is pretty a good deal! Well played Voxi, let’s see what Smarty (my provider) will do. Hmm or maybe I should get a Voxi sim time try out? But I don’t think I get a good Vodafone signal in my area? But haven’t tried for a while.
I moved from Smart to Voxi last month. Despite 3 signal being good in my area, Smarty signal was atrocious.
Voxi seems to be going well for me so far.
@AT I just ordered a Voxi SIM to try out as its free 🙂 I do like it when they offer them for free so we can test out signals. I’ll see how it goes. Smarty’s signal has been alright in my area more or less but could be improved.
@Pezza
I got 3 sims from Argos for £1 so I was happy to try it for that. I then went onto unlimited and I have a 5G signal which is decent where I live. I am also well impressed with them and as Three have dropped go binge I don’t see Smarty doing it. Not now, Not ever, Never 🙁
I’m a big Voxi fan. I was on Three for years, but there are many places around the UK where you just struggle to get a signal. I switched to Voxi and haven’t looked back. No issues at all. I’m on the current £10 12 GIG plan with unlimited social media and that’s fine for me.
Although for the real geeks, I am on the west side of Britain and I’m in a Vodafone (Cornerstone) area. When I’ve travelled east to O2 controlled areas things take a turn for the worse. This isn’t a Voxi issue but a general Vodafone issue. So bare this in mind.
I recently went to a campsite in the middle of no where – I couldn’t get any signal on any network apart from Voda, so I used voxi unlimited to stream all YT and NF stuff – now this is included along with the 5G makes no sense to spend more than the £15/£20 price. It still works effortlessly in hot-spot 🙂
Me too – I got the £20 plan last month but for some reason the counter stopped 1GB in – I tweeted Voxi and they said there was nothing wrong.. So I just said OK and i’ve done about 500GB this month. This of course includes all usage – I have the music addon and Netflix/Youtube is also included in that figure.
But for £20 that’s insane. I’d be happy if I only got 45GB as most of my usage is facebook and Youtube and some Netflix anyway. Oh and Amazon Prime now and again