Amaysim to 'cut the crap' out of mobile call costs

A new virtual mobile operator today launched its operations in Australia, offering a service without contracts and calling costs minus flagfall.

Amaysim is a new SIM-only mobile phone service offering pre-paid and post-paid mobile phone services in Australia, with a flat call rate of 15 cents per-minute, 12 cents for SMS messages and 5 cents per MB for data, with an option to choose a 1GB data pack for AU$9.90. All credit, whether purchased pre- or post-paid has a 90-day expiry, with the exception of the data pack which has a 30-day expiry.

"The original model was based on the [budget] airline model, taking away all the unnecessary elements of operating, what you might call the crap of the [mobile phone] offers, and reducing it to a fair and transparent pricing scheme" said Amaysim CEO Rolf Hansen.

"The key component is offering a web-based service ... where customers can browse the service, buy the service and adjust their settings".

Customers choosing the Amaysim service will be able to monitor their use and change the details of their service using the Amaysim website. Post-paid customers can choose to automatically recharge their account on a specific date each month, or top-up when their remaining credit reaches a pre-determined limit.

This new telco service will piggyback on the Optus network, matching the Optus claim of reaching 96 per cent of the Australian population. The Amaysim SIM card offers both a mini- and micro-SIM option, making it suitable for use in Apple's iPhone 4 and iPad as well as all other mobile phones available in Australia at this time.