How Digicel quietly launched Postpaid Smart & Value Plans should lead to 2-year Data and Voice Plans

In my blog article entitled “Digicel responds to LIME and introduces Six Plans with lowest rate of JA$2.49 on Friday June 14 2013 - Digicel’s new Six Plan Rates wants Your Body, Christina Aguilera Style” as I’d predicted that with the lower Cross Network Calling Rate, Telecom Provider Digicel would have to roll out a Postpaid Plan for Mobile Phones. Well it seems they did based on the recently posted FAQ’s & T’s & C’s for Digicel Postpaid Smart & Value Plans on their Digicel Website!

Telecom Provider Digicel eventually did roll out a Postpaid Mobile Service, though not exactly as I’d expected. Their Postpaid product that they’re advertising in their stores was actually DigiHome, a Postpaid Fixed Line Service, a strong indication that their strategic eyes were fixed on acquiring Telecom Provider LIME’s Landline Customer. Telecom Provider Digicel has also upgraded their Digicel Anywhere Plan to a new set of Postpaid Plans called Digicel Postpaid Smart & Value Plans as per the Press Release *.pdf above.

DigiHome was their prep for May 2014 when MNP (Mobile Number Portability) will also include LNP (Landline Number Portability). This presents Telecom Provider Digicel with an opportunity to capture LIME’s Landline customer wanting to switch to their Fixed Line Service as explained in my blog article entitled “Digicel rolls out DigiHome, their first Residential Postpaid Fixed Line Service - Ramp up for Landline Number Portability and LIME’s Homefone Xpress”.

Telecom Provider LIME, not one to site on their laurels, responded by beefing up their Business packages with new ADSL (Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line) packages aimed squarely at keeping Business customer put. However, they may have stirred up Triple Play Provider FLOW, expanding the Battle for Landline to include all Landline players as stated in my blog article entitled “LIME rolls out new Business themed ADSL and Local and International Landline Calling Bundles - DigiHome offense could Herald the coming of LIME FTTH and relaunch of LIME TV”.

Exciting thus far, eh reader! Read on and find out more about Digicel’s Postpaid Plans for Mobile phones which for some strange reason they didn’t advertise!

Digicel Postpaid Smart & Value Plans – Digicel Anywhere gets an upgrade

If your memory is good, you’ll remember that Telecom Provider Digicel had rolled out a Postpaid package right after the last OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) Cross-Network Rate on July 15^th 2012AD as stated in my Geezam Blog article entitled “Digicel intros the Anywhere Plan for Postpaid”. Looks like they’ve stuck to that pattern by upgrading Digicel Anywhere Plan to a new set of Postpaid Plans called Digicel Postpaid Smart & Value Plans!

The Plans are really geared at smartphone users as they are really Voice and Data Bundles, the main difference from the Digicel Anywhere Plans. Graphs, Pictures and Tables always tell a better story than words so here are the Four (4) Digicel Postpaid Smart & Value Plans!

To activate on your mobile phone Dial *162# and then follow the instructions. However, it gets complicated from there onwards!

First the Digicel Postpaid Value Plans:

Then the Digicel Postpaid Smart Plans:

Another way to look at the new Postpaid Plans is by the number of minutes that they offer:

The Voice Calling Rates may not be to your liking however and seem a bit antiquated, especially the Cross Network and International Calling Rates:

Most likely you’re wondering too with such High International Calling Rates and measly Data Plans, especially if you have a Smartphone or a Blackberry if add-on options exist. They do, but that means more money. For International Calling, there’s an optional Add-on:

Data Bundles can also be added on as well: 

There are a few caveats worth noting:

1.      Smart Plan customers can't activate a regular 4G Mobile Plan.

2.      Data add-on Plans are only accessible to Smart Plan customers

3.      Value Plan customers  can  activate  a  4G mobile Plan by dialing *136# or *143#

4.      Data bundles will not roll over or renew

5.      Smart and Value Plan customer can request another Data Plan by dialing *143*162# or *136*162#

Not really certain why they’re called Value and Smart Plans, as the Plans are very pricey, especially the Add-ons are pretty onerous. These Postpaid Plans, however, make the Digicel Select and Anywhere Plans obsolete going back as far as Friday February 8^th 2013, suggesting Telecom Provider Digicel had Planned this from as far back as then in anticipation of the MTR (Mobile Termination Rates) coming as stated in my blog article entitled “OUR sets Cross-Network Rates at JA$1.10 as of Monday July 1 2013 - Everything is Possible  as we’re Zombies for Data World War Z”.

However, they don’t make Postpaid any more attractive either. Still, my hope is that now that Telecom Provider Digicel has introduced Postpaid Plans or what Americans refer to as 30 Day Plans, they’ll also roll out 2-Year Plans to enable ordinary Jamaicans to afford to buy a smartphone, again similar to the Telecom Provider in the US of A.

For more details, read the FAQ’s & T’s & C’s for Digicel Postpaid Smart & Value Plans on their Digicel Website!