Correct mobile phone subscription can bring huge savings
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New subscription types have made price comparisons between mobile phone subscriptions easier of late.
Subscriptions with the same prices per minute and per SMS message, regardless of time of day or who the recipient is, were launched first.
Subscriptions with a fixed monthly cost for a predetermined package of services have been the phenomenon this fall. For example, the price of 20 euros can include a certain number of call minutes, SMS messages, or both.
A price comparison conducted by Helsingin Sanomat reveals that choosing the correct subscription type can save the user tens of euros per month. What is essential for each consumer is how much the phone is used, and what is the relative share of phone calls and SMS messages.
Ari Luukinen from the Consumer Agency has studied the mobile phone use of Finns. He estimates that during one month, Finns speak an average of 150-200 minutes into their mobiles, and send 25-30 SMS messages.
Pensioners speak a lot on their phones, but send few messages. At the other extreme are teenagers who can send 15 SMS messages against one spoken minute.
The comparison of 18 different subscription alternatives shows that the even-priced subscriptions of low-cost operators are much cheaper than the equivalent alternatives of Sonera and Elisa (formerly Radiolinja).
The services offered by the cheaper competitors are weaker, but if this is not a problem, a switch to a small operator can save a consumer plenty.
The Onni subscription of operator DNA is currently the cheapest alternative with the same price per minute for all calls. However, the battle for mobile phone users is raging, so the situation may change rapidly.
Helsingin Sanomat
