2degrees expands from shared data to shared calls and txts

UPDATE: While 1.5GB is a stingy amount of data, 2degrees CMO Malcolm Phillipps points out a Share Everything customer can optout of sharing their data (that is, share minutes and txts only). And that each member of their Share Everything circle could buy their own data top-up as an individual customer (for example, an extra 1GB for $20). 

That doesn't feel very Share Everything, but those individual options are there.

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EARLIER: Life's too short to cover every new phone plan - and lots of them of them don't warrant attention regardless.

But 2degrees new Share Everything plan is worth a look.

The company pioneered shared data in NZ (as well as carryover data; you've got to love competition).

It's new Share Everything plans let you share minutes and txt as well.

They start at $69, and you add up to three other 2degrees customers, for $20 each, to share the plan.

For your $69, you get unlimited NZ and Australian calls and txts. That's premo for a family or small business.

But the "big pool of data" for the plan is 1.5GB.

Sure it's carryover, but I'm not sure there would be anything left over. I'd call 1.5GB the minimum for one smartphone user, let alone four (on the $119 version of the plan you get 2GB; on the $149 plan 3.5GB).

I see supercharged squabbles over who's been downloading too many YouTube clips and busting the company cap.

2degrees quotes Merrill Lynch Global Wireless research from earlier this year that found Americans use their mobile devices nearly five times as much as New Zealanders.

Share Everything could help people get more active on the talk and texting front.

But the field remains wide open for 2degrees, Telecom or Vodafone to make a killer play on the data front (and until Telecom and Vodafone really turn on the tap, and make a big move to raise usage caps, 2degrees users won't feel particularly bad their network lacks 4G).

Mobile's not just about social media and entertainment, but enterprise apps going mobile as we access cloud services from anywhere. Throw in laptop tethering, and video conferencing or calling over IP, and you've got smartphone and tablet users hungry for more data.

ckeall@nbr.co.nz

Follow @ChrisKeall