Even though Orange has not yet launched the iPhone in the UK, it has hit trouble by offering an ‘unlimited' data service with a 750Mb per month limit, and implied that subscribers will not be able to use mobile internet applications like Spotify, AudioBoo, Ustream, Facebook and YouTube.
The company has attempted to quell the rising level of concern by claiming its T&Cs state that the handset is "not to be used for other activities (eg using your handset as a modem, non-Orange internet based streaming services, voice or video over the internet, instant messaging, peer to peer file sharing", a spokesman has stated that "popular streaming services will not be banned for iPhone users."
"As a result," said the Orange exec, "we do not intend to apply network protection controls to anyone, as long as they are within their usage allowance. The T&Cs are in place to reserve the right to restrict access should they continue to exceed our Fair Usage policy."
Orange said that its research in other European countries found that the average user downloaded less than 200Mb per month. Defending the 750Mb limit, the company maintained this would provide a user with either five hours of video downloaded from YouTube, 75,000 mobile web pages, 30,000 normal web pages, around 250 full music tracks or 1,500 mobile games.
Interestingly, the present sole UK distributor of iPhones in the UK, O2, has kept its download offers far more vague without putting a figure on the data limit. There has been evidence of some people receiving a text warning them of their usage and 'suggesting' better plans.
For more on this story:
MacWorld and Network World
Related stories:
Skype/iPhone combo causes operator angst
Palm Pre hits Europe starting 13th Oct, smarter than iPhone 3GS, claim reviewers
iPhone boosts T-Mobile data traffic by 30%
O2 to crack down on iPhone tethering cheats