Digicel adjusts mobile data prices

Digicel Jamaica adjusted a raft of prepaid mobile data plans this week on its website, which makes it nominally cheaper for plans with longer tenures, but more costly for the cheaper plans in its product line-up.

Digicel no longer includes its cheapest $80 offering in its list of stand-alone plans. That plan would allow for 80 megabytes over three days. Now, it speaks about $80 as the cost to carry over unused data to renew all plans.

"Pricing starts as low as $80, and you'll enjoy rollover data on all data plans," said the telecoms' updated listing.

Second, it adjusted the popular three-day data and free social media plan from $130 plan to $150, while offering 10 per cent more data at 250mb. It also adjusted its seven day plan at $600 with one gigabyte to $700 and 1.5gb.

Coincidentally, the adjustments occurred on the day Gleaner Business reported on rising rates by rival provider FLOW Jamaica. FLOW effectively doubled the cost of a key mobile plan to customers within four months. But FLOW argued that its 4G network still offers lower rates than main rival Digicel. In response, Digicel argued that it offers a consistently lower price-per-megabyte on most of its plans, as well as added free benefits like 'Double Dat', which effectively gives customers double the data.

"Prepaid customers can get up to 8gb per month for the cost of 4gb with Double Dat. This is a revolutionary step in the provisioning of superfast, affordable and accessible mobile data service that will enable consumers to do more with more," said Elon Parkinson, head of public relations at Digicel Jamaica.

Additional price changes include Digicel offering more data for its $200 plan, up from 250mb to 275mb. But its $350 plan at 500mb was reduced to 350mb.

Digicel also adjusted its 30-day plans, offering 3gb costing $1,950 and 4gb at $2,500. That's up from 2gb at $1,750 and 3gb at $2,250.

steven.jackson@gleanerjm.com