From September 2, 2020, UPC is offering 10 new mobile service plans. The new plans replace the Flex Swiss, Flex Europe, Unlimited Swiss and Unlimited Europe plans previously offered by UPC.
Like the previous UPC mobile plans, all of the new plans have flat fees which covers unlimited calls and SMS messaging within Switzerland. Plans only differ in terms of included mobile data.
The more expensive mobile plans also include roaming and international call allowances.
Five of the new plans are only available in combination with a UPC home Internet plan. The remaining five plans can be obtained without a UPC Internet plan. The flat fees of the independent plans are identical to those of the five offered to UPC Internet plan users. However, the independent plans have lower mobile data allowances.
The five pricing models are as follows:
1. Plans for 9.90 francs
For 9.90 Swiss francs per month, UPC Internet plan users get unlimited calls and SMS messaging in Switzerland plus 1 gigabyte of local mobile data with the Swiss 1 GB mobile plan. For the same price but without a UPC Internet plan, you get the Swiss 500 MB plan with 500 megabytes of mobile data.
2. Plans for 19.90 francs
For 19.90 francs per month, UPC Internet plan users get 4 gigabytes of mobile data with the Swiss 4 GB plan. For the same price but without a UPC Internet plan, you get the Swiss 2 GB plan with 2 gigabytes of mobile data.
3. Plans for 29.90 francs
For 29.90 francs per month, UPC Internet plan users can get a plan with unlimited Internet. For the same price but without a UPC Internet plan, you get the Swiss 40 GB plan which includes 40 gigabytes of mobile data.
4. Plans for 39.90 francs
For 39.90 francs per month, UPC Internet plan users get the Europe Unlimited mobile plan with unlimited calls and data within Switzerland. Non-users get the Europe plan with unlimited calls and 40 gigabytes of data within Switzerland. Both plans include 10 gigabytes of data roaming and unlimited call roaming within Europe.
5. Plans for 59.90 francs
The two most expensive plans cost 59.90 francs per month. The Europe Plus Unlimited plan includes unlimited local data, 10 gigabytes of data roaming in Europe, unlimited call roaming and unlimited international calls.
Cost of additional data
Once included monthly mobile data allowances have been used, the data connection is throttled to 128 kbps. You can supplement the included data allowances by buying optional data bundles. A 500-megabyte data bundle costs 5 francs, while a 1000-megabyte data bundle costs 9 francs.
No more special promotions
UPC has said that it plans to stop running special promotions for mobile plans. This means the plans should cost the same for all users.
Price comparison with other mobile plans
The 9.90-franc plans are the most affordable plans in Switzerland for unlimited local calls and SMS messaging. If you primarily make calls and send SMS messages within Switzerland, and use little mobile data, these plans are currently the most affordable flat fee option.
An analysis shows that the UPC plans which are sold independently of UPC home Internet plans are among the more affordable plans available. But depending on the user profile, there are cheaper competing offers – primarily special promotional offers. The moneyland.ch mobile plan comparison accounts for all standard plans and special promotional offers to help you find the cheapest option for your mobile needs.
Verdict by telecom expert Ralf Beyeler
With ten different mobile plans on offer, UPCs lineup will likely be confusing for consumers. The broad range forces consumers to consider exactly how they use their mobile phones. The previously-offered Flex plans were more customer friendly: If you didn’t use much mobile data, you paid less for your plan, but you could also use large amounts of data without worry.
Another development which is not customer friendly is that UPC no longer offers plans without minimum contract terms. You have to sign up for either 12 or 24 months, and you cannot migrate to a different plan during that time.
You also have to exercise caution when roaming outside of Switzerland. The flat fees of Both the Europe and Europe Unlimited plans only cover roaming calls within the same country and calls to Switzerland. Receiving calls while roaming is also included.
Roaming allowances from many other mobile service providers cover roaming calls between European countries.
International calling is another point to pay attention to with the Europe Plus and Europe Plus Unlimited plans. Both plans include unlimited international calling from Switzerland or European countries to other countries in their flat fees. However, the list of countries covered by the international calling allowance is somewhat confusing. For example, international calls to many countries in Europe including Croatia, the Czech Republic and Poland, are not covered by the flat fee. On the other hand, calls to far away countries like the US, Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia and even New Zealand are covered.
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