Orange, close but no cigar

I recently changed my mobile phone package with Orange as I was paying £35 a month on my contract but my bills including data usage were often over £40.

This is now back down to a more reasonable £10 a month. When I was discussing my contract whilst activating my new SIM card I got talking about the data packages they offer.

Their packages on offer are:

Orange World Access
Mbs per month / cost per month
Unlimited Evening & Weekend Browsing / £ 5.00
30Mbs / £ 8.00
80Mbs / £ 41.13

I thought the Unlimited Evening & Weekend package seemed ideal. I’m unlikely to use it during the day unless its weekend. So I looked into the T’s and C’s. Hmm, not as good as I thought:

From Orange Website

Fair usage policy: To ensure the fair allocation of network resources for all customers the Offer may not be used for: modem access for computers, internet based streaming services, voice or video over the internet, Instant Messaging, peer to peer file sharing and non Orange internet based video. If such use is detected, notice may be given and Network protection controls may be applied to all services which Orange does not believe constitute WAP or mobile internet browsing. This may result in a reduced speed of transmission, inability to use such services and, at the discretion of Orange, removal of the Offer. The Offer is subject at all times to a fair usage policy of 1000MB each month. Usage above this amount will constitute abuse & Orange may, at its discretion, monitor usage and withdraw the Offer from your account in the event that the fair usage policy is abused.

I was hoping/intending on using it plugged into my EeePC, a cheap way of getting mobile broadband. Or so I thought. So it turns out you can only use the service how they want you to. Come on Orange, at 1GB a month what do you expect people to do??!

I just wish they put it as 1GB, there you go for £5 take it or leave it and do with it as you will. If people use their computers with the service surely they will use the 1GB quicker. So you still win. Honestly.