Flow hikes cheapest plan, again
Published:Friday | April 7, 2017 | 12:00 AMSteven Jackson
FLOW Jamaica has hiked the price of its cheapest two-day prepaid mobile data package by 200 per cent in the span of a year, a Gleaner Business review shows.
Last week, the telecoms company announced adjustments in its data prices, the third in 12 months. The rise comes within the context of the FLOW's Caribbean operations getting a mandate from its new parent Liberty Global to grow revenues.
FLOW Jamaica's cheapest data plan jumped three times from $50 last April to $75 in August, $100 in October, and now $150 in April 2017, according to information tracked through the telecoms' website.
Over the same period, one of FLOW's three-day prepaid mobile data plans, dubbed '3Day' jumped from $100 to $250 now.
In its latest price adjustment implemented last Friday, FLOW announced that it would brand its suite of mobile data plans as 'Lyf plans'. Under the new plan, all prepaid mobile Internet customers can get free data for up to 75 minutes of WhatsApp calls, up to 500 minutes of enhanced music streaming through the company's Deezer app, along with free access to the FLOW Sports Network via the FLOW Sports app.
ACCESS RESERVED
This access was previously reserved for FLOW's TV customers only, said FLOW, adding that now, FLOW 'Lyf' subscribers will be able to access the Caribbean's premier sports content via their mobile phone.
"Over the past two years, we have seen a significant increase in the usage of mobile data by our customers, moving from voice and text to more app-driven activities like WhatsApp, which require a mobile data connection," said FLOW Head of Products Dwight Williams.
"We have also seen an increase in the appetite and desire of more customers, spanning all generations, to get online and to do more; whether it's social media, entertainment, e-commerce and even GPS navigation," he said.
Additionally, Talk EZ customers will pay calling rates of $1.99 per minute to $3.99 per minute, depending on the Lyf package purchased.
ADJUSTMENTS
Kayon Wallace, director, corporate communications and stakeholder management, said only two of the six prepaid data plans - the 2Day and 3Day plans - were adjusted, but that they also received an increase in the core data allocated.
"All six prepaid data plans received the additional benefits of FLOW Lyf and customers on the 2Day plan are also benefiting from an effective 25 per cent rate reduction in the price per megabyte," Wallace said.
"Further, our Talk EZ customers continue to benefit from lower market prices for calls ($2.99 and $1.99) to any network in Jamaica and international calls to the USA, Canada and landlines in the UK," she said.
FLOW Jamaica's active subscriber base tops 900,000.
Parent company Liberty Global has mandated its regional business, which includes Jamaica, to grow their cash flows to US$1.5 billion this year. The businesses, which operate under LiLAC Group, generated cash of US$1.09 billion last year.