Broadband News

AOL teams up with Carphone Warehouse to rival Orange

(24-07-07) - A free DELL laptop worth over £500 is being offered to AOL (www.AOL.co.uk) customers who sign a two year contract in Carphone Warehouse stores to rival Orange’s (www.Orange.co.uk) similar promotion.

Customers must pre-register online to get one of the free laptops, available from September said the Carphone Warehouse.

The laptop, which comes with Microsoft Vista Home Basic Edition, 1 GB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, Intel Celeron 540 Processor, Wi-Fi Wireless Ready a DVD rewriter and a 15.4 inch screen is of a higher spec than the EI Systems 3101 offered by Orange and PC world while the broadband package is also better value.

Customers who sign up to the offer will pay £19.99 a month for an up to 8Mb connection with a 40MB download allowance and a free wireless router. They will also have AOL’s “pay-as-you-go” Talk package. However, they will still be required to tie themselves into a hefty 24 month contract.

The laptop is from the latest Inspiron range and is wireless ready. Ron Garriques of DELL said: “This is part of our commitment to allow as many people as possible to enjoy the benefits of a wireless digital home.”

However, Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director, warned consumers against committing to such long contracts. “Although this is undoubtedly a better offer than the Orange/PC World promotion, I would always caution people against tying themselves into long contracts. And at 24 months, this one is a real mammoth. Consumers need to consider the faster speeds and better value packages that they will undoubtedly miss out on in the coming two years,” he said.

“After TalkTalk (www.TalkTalk.co.uk) launched the first 18 month contract, a rash of other providers followed, so I have no doubt that more offers like this will spring up to entice customers into two year contracts and to stop them switching,” concluded Mr Phillips.