German network operator O2 Germany has launched a new prepaid price plan that offers mobile phone calls, text messages or mobile internet access for free. In return, subscribers to this prepaid price plan under the brand Netzclub will receive up to 30 advertising messages per month on their phone and will have to answer at least once by text message or click on one advertising link. However, there is no obligation for Netzclub subscribers to buy or order anything. Competitor E-Plus is also offering credit to customers who agree to receive advertisement messages on their cell phone under the Gettings brand.

This time, the German government has to settle for less: After 224 rounds the auction for mobile-phone frequencies has ended and the government has raised just 4.38 billion euros total. In August 2000, it generated 50 billion euros from the sale of 3G licenses, the largest frequency auction in Germany so far. The four German network operators that took part in the last auction – T-Mobile, Vodafone, E-Plus and O2 Germany – want to use the new spectrum to expand their broadband coverage, for example, by setting up fourth generation Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, especially in rural areas that do not have access to highspeed Internet connections over cable.

We have spotted two interesting cell phones at German operators’ stores: Vodafone is selling the lifestyle smartphone Puma Phone manufactured by Sagem Wireless. E-Plus is offering the dual SIM phone Samsung B5722 to its customers. The Puma Phone costs EUR 369.90 without contract and between EUR 29.90 and EUR 139.90 with 24 months contract at Vodafone stores. E-Plus offers the touch screen dual SIM phone Samsung B5722 for EUR 199.00 only to its customers who have to agree to an extension of their term commitment for another 24 months when buying this phone.

Discount provider Simsay has launched a new mobile phone price plan called “Global Card” for low-rate international calls from Germany to other countries. Initially, customers can make international calls to landlines in Poland, Russia and the Ukraine for EUR 0.029 per minute or to landlines in China, Vietnam, Pakistan and India for EUR 0.049 per minute. Mobile phone calls from Germany to home phones in Nigeria and Ghana cost EUR 0.079 per minute with the Simsay “Global Card” price plan. However, these low rates for international mobile phone calls are only valid until July 31st. And: There is an additional connection fee of – depending on the country – EUR 0.15 or EUR 0.19 per international call. Simsay uses the network of operator E-Plus.

Several German mobile phone providers have released information about their mobile data tariffs dedicated to the iPad which will hit Apple stores in Germany on May 28th. Only some of these prepaid price plans of discount providers we have already presented as well as the offers of the network operators Vodafone and O2 Germany. Here is a new overview of all micro SIM packages with mobile data tariffs for connecting the iPad to the internet in Germany via GPRS or UMTS. This selection only includes prepaid price plans and postpaid price plans with a short minimum term commitment of just one month.

The efforts of operator E-Plus (KPN) to upgrade coverage and capacity of its 3G network in Germany have already made an impact on data transfer speeds. Now, mobile internet users in bigger cities and their outskirts may experience data transmission rates of up to 1.8 mbps (download) and 384 kbps (upload). Subscribers to a postpaid or prepaid price plan of E-Plus brands such as Base, Simyo, Ay Yildiz and Vybemobile or low-cost providers such as Blau and Medion Mobile (Aldi TAlk) will also benefit from faster data transfer speeds. As described in an earlier post, other mobile operators such as T-Mobile, Vodafone and O2 Germany already offer DSL-like transfer speeds of up to 7.2 mbps in larger parts of their 3G networks.

By the end of May the Apple iPad will be available in the German market, both the WiFi model and the WiFi + 3G model. Even though we don’t know for what purchase prices Apple will be selling the iPad in Germany, first mobile phone providers have already put together special prepaid starter packages. These prepaid packages include a mobile data plan for accessing the internet via GPRS or UMTS over a German mobile network as well as the micro SIM card which fits into the iPad (and maybe into the upcoming Apple iPhone 4G). Here is a short overview of prepaid starter packages for the Apple iPad 3G as far as they have already been announced by German providers.

Kolaykart is a prepaid price plan of E-Plus brand Ay Yildiz offering low rates for mobile calls within Germany and to Turkey. For calls to other E-Plus subscribers and to landlines in Turkey Kolaykart users are charged just EUR 0.06 per minute. For calls to landlines and other mobile phones in Germany as well as to mobile phones in Turkey Kolaykart users pay EUR 0.16 per minute. All other international mobile phone calls with the Kolaykart prepaid SIM card can be made for prices between EUR 0.16 and EUR 0.99 per minute.

Minutel is a new provider with low rates for mobile phone calls and texting (SMS) within Germany. Subscribers to the Minutel prepaid price plan pay EUR 0.075 per minute for calls to German landlines and mobile phones and EUR 0.075 for each text message. Mobile phone calls between Minutel subscribers cost only EUR 0.049 per minute, checking voice mail is free of charge. For accessing the internet via GPRS or UMTS over the network of operator E-Plus, Minutel subscribers pay EUR 0.24 per megabyte. International calls from Germany to other countries cost between EUR 0.49 and EUR 1.49 depending on the country.

Mobile data roaming fees are still prohibitive. While flat rate tariffs of German providers for accessing the internet over a mobile network can be booked for monthly charges as low as EUR 10.00, in other countries mobile internet users pay EUR 1.95 per megabyte or much more with their German mobile data plan. Thanks to the European Commission, there will be less risk of enormous expenses soon. As of July 1st, European mobile phone providers have to set up a cost limit of EUR 59.50 per month for mobile data roaming within the European Union. Mobile internet users can already benefit from this cost limit for mobile data services when being in another country of the European Union. However, they have to request their mobile phone provider to activate this cost limit feature.