Orange tests twin phone scheme

Orange is launching a scheme called Talk Share, which offers twin phones and packages of bundled minutes with a single bill, in its latest effort to extend into the home and business markets.

The scheme, which launches on Friday, and will be on trial until February. It aims to capitalise on the Christmas market, and will be extended if successful.

Orange has earmearked bet ween 500,000 and 1m for the press campaign to accompany the promotion.

“The scheme allows a second consumer to draw from a shared bundle of minutes and end up with a single bill,” says Orange head of product marketing Graeme Oxby. “It is an attempt to extend penetration into family and business groups, both by encouraging existing users to buy a second phone and attracting new ones.

“We believe there is a need. There are many two-phone households and this offers the chance to have single billing and reduce administrative costs.”

Orange says the scheme is the first of its kind in the UK and offers a range of savings from connection fees to discounts on its group talk plans.