Orange ‘U24′ Student Offer: Extra 1GB and Unlimited Orange & T-Mobile Calls
August 10th, 2012
Orange are offering under-24 customers an additional 1GB of internet as well as free Orange & T-Mobile calls and texts. U24 is opt-in however: you’ll need to ask for it.
Orange have launched a new “under 24s” offer with free calls, texts and internet to customers on Pay Monthly plans above £15/month and Pay As You Go plans topping-up at least £15/month. The offer, which lasts for 24 months, consists of unlimited calls & texts to other Orange & T-Mobile customers as well as an extra 1GB internet each month (in addition to your existing allowance). An additional 1GB roughly equates to browsing 3000 rich webpages, writing a million basic e-mails/instant messages or downloading 160 applications.
Contents
- 1 What deals are available on Orange if I’m under 24?
- 2 What does an additional 1GB of internet allow me to do?
- 3 Who am I able to call using my unlimited calls to Orange and T-Mobile customers?
- 4 I’m on Orange Pay As You Go. Can I keep the existing benefits of my plan?
- 5 How long does the “U24″ offer last for?
- 6 I’m already an Orange customer. How do I add U24 to my account?
- 7 I’m joining Orange. How do I add U24 to my account?
- 8 Does adding U24 to my plan extend the length of my contract?
- 9 Do I need to be a student to sign up for U24?
- 10 Where can I find out more about this deal?
What deals are available on Orange if I’m under 24?
Orange have a range of Pay Monthly tariffs and handsets which are compatible with the U24 tariff.
For a super-cheap plan, the Panther £15.50/month plan with U24 offers a new handset, unlimited Orange & T-Mobile calls, 50 minutes of calls to other networks, unlimited texts and 1.25GB internet. You’ll also get access to BT OpenZone wi-fi hotspots and a free Orange swapable (e.g. Sky Sports Mobile TV or access to ‘The Times’ website). Inclusive free handsets include the Orange San Francisco II and the BlackBerry Curve 9320 – alternatively you could pay a bit more and pick up something like the Sony Xperia U for £50.
If you already own your own unlocked handset which you’re happy to keep, you could save substantially by switching to an Orange SIM Only tariff with U24. Current offers include 600 cross-network minutes, unlimited Orange and T-Mobile calls, unlimited texts to any network and 1.5GB internet for £15.50/month.
What does an additional 1GB of internet allow me to do?
The U24 offer gives you an additional 1GB of internet above the amount which is already included on your tariff. 1GB approximately corresponds to one of the following:
| 1GB corresponds to… | |
|---|---|
| Basic webpages (mainly text) | 10,000 |
| Rich webpages (with multimedia, e.g. BBC) | 3,000 |
| Basic e-mails | 1,000,000 |
| Rich e-mails (with attachments) | 2,000 |
| Downloading/streaming music | 200 songs |
| Downloading/streaming video | 2 hours |
| Skype voice call | 30 hours |
| Skype video call | 4 hours |
| Listening to online radio | 16 hours |
| Downloading/updating apps | 160 apps |
Source of estimates: O2 [1, 2]. Our testing found a Skype mobile voice call consumes around 0.55MB/minute (70kbps). Skype video call uses 4MB/minute (500kbps). Online radio calculation assumes 128kbps bitrate. Average size of app is 6.1MB (based on top 20 free Android apps).
For more information, see our in-depth guide to download limits and what they mean in reality.
Note that Orange’s U24 terms and conditions say “you cannot use your mobile internet for non-Orange internet based streaming services, voice or video over the internet, instant messaging or peer to peer file sharing”. This means that using applications such as Skype and WhatsApp would technically be against the terms of use. However, we have not heard any reports of customers being unable to use these chatting applications.
Who am I able to call using my unlimited calls to Orange and T-Mobile customers?
U24 allows you to make an unlimited number of calls to other Orange and T-Mobile customers. These calls will not count towards your airtime allowances. If you’re unsure about which of your friends are on Orange and T-Mobile, Orange have provided a page on their website which allows you to check. There are also free-to-download applications for Android and BlackBerry handsets.
I’m on Orange Pay As You Go. Can I keep the existing benefits of my plan?
U24 can be added to your existing Animal plan.
Orange have a range of Pay As You Go “Animal” plans offering freebies such as music, calls, texts and internet whenever you top-up. Joining U24 does not affect your eligibility to be on these plans: you’ll still be able to keep these benefits when subscribe to U24.
This means that with a combination of Animals + U24, a £15 top-up will give you the following freebies:
- Monkey Plan: Deezer music, unlimited Orange & T-Mobile calls and texts, 400 texts to other networks & 1GB internet
- Dolphin Plan: Unlimited Orange & T-Mobile calls and texts, 600 texts to other networks & 1.5GB internet
- Canary Plan: 200 evening & weekend minutes, 200 evening & weekend texts, unlimited Orange & T-Mobile calls and texts & 1GB internet
- Racoon Plan: 120 international calling minutes, unlimited Orange & T-Mobile calls and texts & 1GB internet
Our recommended Pay As You Go plan is Canary with U24. This offers really good value especially as the inclusive calls, texts and internet are provided on top of your £15 credit. Alternatively, Dolphin could be a better option for heavy smartphone users: you’ll get a larger download allowance of 1.5GB each month.
How long does the “U24″ offer last for?
The U24 offer lasts for 24 months from the date that you add it to your plan. You’ll need to be under 24 when adding U24 to your account but you’ll still be able to keep those benefits for 24 months even if you turn 24. This means that if you add U24 the day before your 24th birthday, you’ll keep the benefits of the U24 plan until the day before your 26th birthday.
I’m already an Orange customer. How do I add U24 to my account?
You’ll need to show a passport or driving license in an Orange store to get U24 added to your plan.
If you’re an existing Orange customer, you’ll need to go into an Orange retail store with proof of ID to add U24 to your account. According to Orange, the following forms of ID are accepted:
- Over 16: If you’re over 16, you’ll need to walk into an Orange store either with a passport, driving license or PASS card.
- Under 16: If you’re under 16 or you do not pay the bill for your phone, you’ll need to visit an Orange store with the bill payer. You’ll need to provide your own ID in the form of a passport, driving license or PASS card whereas the bill payer will also need to provide ID in the form of a passport or driving license.
It can take up to 5 days for U24 to be activated on your account.
I’m joining Orange. How do I add U24 to my account?
You should purchase your phone now from the Orange website. Once your new phone or SIM card has arrived, follow the instructions above to add U24 to your plan.
Does adding U24 to my plan extend the length of my contract?
No. Adding U24 to your plan does not extend the length of your contract. You will still be able to upgrade to your next handset (or switch to a cheaper SIM only deal) at the same time as before.
Do I need to be a student to sign up for U24?
No. You do not need to be a student: you simply need to be under 24 to register for U24.
Where can I find out more about this deal?
You can find out more about the U24 offer at the Orange website.
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About Ken
I'm a freelance writer specialising in mobile technology. I've been blogging at Ken's Tech Tips since 2005 with the aim of demystifying mobile technology for the rest of us.
Before writing about mobile technology, my background was in space & atmospheric physics. I have also worked in software development. Nowadays, I help companies to explain mobile technology to their customers. Please check out my portfolio or get in touch for more information. I'm also on Google+.
When I said my contract was from phones 4 U they said no third parties, but would they actually know if I pretended I got it from an orange store?
thanks … so i can sign up via carphone warehouse and when i go to orange / ee store it will be accepted as an orange contract ?
Hi Stewart,
As far as I'm aware, it makes no difference if you sign up via Carphone Warehouse – your billing relationship is still with Orange. You can check the terms and conditions for the U24 offer here.
Hope this helps,
Ken
This deal Orangeu24 looks great. My daughter is looking at the 24mth £20.50 Orange plan via carphone warehouse ("free" Galaxy Ace and Galaxy Tab 2). If she signs up for this is she an orange customer and can she then go to Orange and sign up for U24 ? Have spoken to Carphone Warehouse and Orange and neither are conclusive or helpful both saying ask the other !!! Many thanks.
Hi Stewart,
You are right in saying that she will need to go to an Orange retail store (now branded EE) in order to sign up for U24. Do remember to take the correct ID, and if you're the bill payer you'll need to go with some ID too.
Ken