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Introducing a new mobile network... for young people only

The network, called 48, will be low-cost but only for people aged 18-22.

THE PARENT COMPANY of O2 has introduced a new low-cost mobile network. The catch? Only young people are allowed to sign up.

The network, called 48, is open to everyone currently between their 18th and 22nd birthdays. (Its name refers to the number of months between the two.)

For €10 a month, it offers unlimited calls and texts to any mobile network, as well as 20 minutes to landlines. “Landlines are for losers,” as the 48 website declares. There’s a small additional charge for 3G internet use.

The low-cost plan specifically targets young people. “The bank of Mum and Dad has probably closed and you’re paying for stuff for the first time,” the company says. “Your phone is your lifeline. How else are you going to find out what everyone’s up to and where they’re going?”

The company – run by Telefonica Digital, which also owns O2 – will piggyback on the existing O2 network, and will exist only as an online store. The new company 48 told TheJournal.ie that it is a stand alone operator and “is entirely separate from O2 Ireland and operates independently to the O2 business in Ireland”.

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37 Comments
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    Mute BcuTCM0P
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    Jan 31st 2012, 6:52 PM

    Ageist!

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    Mute Peter 66
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    Jan 31st 2012, 7:32 PM

    Sounds Reasonable & value for money

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    Mute John O'Neill
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    Feb 1st 2012, 1:51 AM

    Actually very likely to be illegal under current discrimination legislation which specifies age as being a specific ground that discrimination is prohibited under.

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    Mute lyg8DaQG
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    Jan 31st 2012, 7:00 PM

    Cue loads of 18-22 year olds having phones in their name being used by the parents!

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    Mute Paul
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    Jan 31st 2012, 7:41 PM

    lol

    33
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    Mute Dougal McGuire
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    Jan 31st 2012, 6:59 PM

    Is this even legal?…

    189
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    Mute Muc Beag
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    Jan 31st 2012, 7:11 PM

    Think it would be, companies charge different amounts to different classes of people – student offers, OAP special prices, prices, ladies’ nights in pubs, family tickets for events. If all that’s legal, then this should be.

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    Mute Richard Keogh
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    Jan 31st 2012, 7:37 PM

    Was wondering that myself when I heard about it last week. The European Courts have already ruled against cheaper female only insurance policies, seems this would be ripe for a similar challenge. Limiting their market reach considerably, even if that age group is a high user of mobile phones.

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    Mute Mick Kenny
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    Jan 31st 2012, 8:17 PM

    It could be considered ageist.

    45
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    Mute Eoin Dineen
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    Feb 20th 2012, 4:28 PM

    I’m a bit late to this but – c”ompanies charge different amounts to different classes of people – student offers, OAP special prices, prices, ladies’ nights in pubs, family tickets for events. If all that’s legal, then this should be.” that’s a completely different thing.

    This network is excluding everyone outside the 18 – 22 age bracket altogether from availing of their service, as opposed to offering different prices to different groups of people.

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    Mute Paddy O'Reilly
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    Jan 31st 2012, 6:58 PM

    Brand loyalty is a powerful thing, just look at how successful Meteor has been at attracting and retaining the youth market, they earned my trust with free calls & texts for €20/mth and have kept me as a customer for the past decade.
    However it is strange that they have disassociated it from the O2 brand.

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    Mute Niall Shanahan
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    Jan 31st 2012, 8:55 PM

    I’m 43. Do I qualify for two phones?

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    Mute Sam Rumball
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    Jan 31st 2012, 7:09 PM

    If you read the T&C’s it says they do not age discriminate, the 18-22 thing is a clever marketing ploy to try and steal Meteors main market.

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    Mute Keith Maguire
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    Jan 31st 2012, 8:07 PM

    Where does it say that exactly Sam? What I see in the terms and conditions is

    “3.2 We reserve the right to limit the availability of the 48 Services for people in certain age categories”

    It seems to be a pointless and unjustifiable breach of equality legislation.

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    Mute Paddy O'Reilly
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    Jan 31st 2012, 8:08 PM

    Sorry but it does: “3.2 We reserve the right to limit the availability of the 48 Services for people in certain age categories (details of the age categories which qualify to use the 48 Services are published on http://www.48months.ie).”

    They state that they don’t offer age restricted services, which means porn.

    6
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    Mute Gavin McGuinness
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    Jan 31st 2012, 8:32 PM

    Currently looking into changing over to 48.

    They seem to be holding back on a lot of information though. What I am concerned about is whether or not they will hammer on the charges if you go outside of the 10 deal. As in, outside of the 20 minutes you get for landlines, what will the cost be per minute. If you don’t sign up straight away for your second month, how much will you be charged for a text (Can you even make a text or a phone call if you fail to top up by 10 euro at the end of your month “membership”)
    The offer for internet is 2 euro for the euro, unlimited internet on the condition that you don’t go over their fair use limit of 500mb. How much are you charged when you do go over that? Let’s face it … 500mb is not a lot of memory.

    Does anyone have answers to these? They don’t put it up on their site (If it is on there, it is very well hidden. I am kinda afraid to hear the answers)

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    Mute Matthew Gleeson
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    Feb 1st 2012, 3:51 PM

    just saw the new YouTube ad for 48 hours…racy…. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_xcA_0VypQ

    1
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    Mute Gavin McGuinness
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    Feb 1st 2012, 4:10 PM

    What is with the accent? Is it American or Irish!

    P.S I have yet to go to a club that looks like the one they have in the ad :P

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    Mute Conor Gallagher
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    Jan 31st 2012, 10:10 PM

    Ryanair lost an equality case because they advertised for “young and dynamic” employees, an off-licence which refused to serve spirits to under 23s also lost, so how can phone services for adults be on different tariffs due to the age of customers?

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    Mute Robert Fourie
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    Jan 31st 2012, 10:50 PM

    Equality legislation clearly prohibits this. They will be in hot water in two ticks the first time a 25yo is turned down and brings a case. Lots of nice compo for whoever that will be!

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    Mute Peter Carroll
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    Jan 31st 2012, 7:05 PM

    Clever marketing but they should probably bring the lower age limit down to 16. I know you cannot enforce a contract against a person under 18 but how enforceable is an airtime contract against anyone?

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    Mute Keith Twamley
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    Jan 31st 2012, 7:12 PM

    Say it’s 18 for the purpose of eligibility of a credit card and direct debit etc.

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    Mute Abi Dennis
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    Feb 1st 2012, 12:14 AM

    think il stick to 3s credit deal (and hope to god i never have to ring their customer care team again!)

    17
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    Mute Stephen Maher
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    Feb 1st 2012, 10:54 AM

    I’m 39. I’m applying for this service online, while dialling my solicitor’s number at the same time!!!

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    Mute Wolfgang Schmitt
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    Jan 31st 2012, 11:18 PM

    Wow, people must have low self esteem if they consider this marketing technique an attack on their equal rights… It’s a prepaid SIM. O2 can hardly enforce the age restriction in any way. Worst case scenario: Just enter your birthday as if you were between 18-22 when you register…

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    Mute Chan Lynch
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    Feb 1st 2012, 11:44 AM

    Serious smell of bitter old folk around here.

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    Mute Dave Seacy
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    Jan 31st 2012, 9:19 PM

    Marketing !!

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    Mute Paul Mallon
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    Jan 31st 2012, 9:34 PM

    clever product.

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    Mute Simon Power
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    Feb 1st 2012, 12:29 AM

    Naturally it is breaking EU equality legislation. While offering value, it is an obvious ploy to turn young people into habitual mobile phone users only to throw them on to “the adult” market to reap the reward.

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    Mute Nigel Ó'Laighin
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    Feb 1st 2012, 8:08 AM

    What about student and child prices for sports events, transport, theme parks…? If these are not considered ageist, why would reduced mobile phone costs?

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    Mute jimbo
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    Jan 31st 2012, 10:05 PM

    Great marketing scam if you ask me.

    Welcome to the O2 ageist plan

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    Mute Tom Mulligan
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    Jan 31st 2012, 11:16 PM

    No such thing as bad publicity is that what they say.

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    Mute Ailish Lynch
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    Feb 1st 2012, 12:09 AM

    Sounds great!

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    Mute Aranthos Faroth
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    Feb 1st 2012, 10:26 AM

    “Landlines are for losers”
    Whoa, strong comment on so many levels.

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    Mute Courtney Barry
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    Feb 1st 2012, 11:23 AM

    Lads big companies! It’ll all of been researched before! All in the terms and conditions I say! Don’t thinks you’s know all the answers and it’s not an ageist service if the company is designed for it, just like it’s not ageist to have child bus fairs!

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    Mute tuba hg
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    Feb 1st 2012, 10:19 AM

    It’s against the to discriminate on the basis of age

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    Mute Rose
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    Feb 10th 2016, 8:09 AM

    Gracious to view your site Bulk Sms Providers

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