The company said it would sell all the issued share capital in Click Energy, an asset it bought in April 2017, to AGL, adding that it would now concentrate on being a mobile-only business.

The divestment of the energy business is expected to be completed by the end of September. amaysim said it would pay off debt of about $53 million from the proceeds of the sale.

This is the second divestment by amaysim; the company got out of the broadband business in October 2018, selling its fixed line broadband customer base to regional telecommunications operator Southern Phone for about $3 million.

{loadposition sam08}Chief executive Peter O'Connell said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to acknowledge and thank our Click Energy and amaysim Energy teams, led by general manager, Chris Zondanos, for their outstanding efforts and customer-first focus.

"Chris and the team have done a remarkable job. They grew the subscriber base to record highs this year and maintained a strong culture and customer-centric focus despite the increase in regulatory intervention, impact of COVID-19 and declining gross profit margins. Despite this pressure, they never lost focus on our customers and the subscriber numbers speak for themselves.

“We couldn’t be prouder of what our energy business has achieved and we’d also like to acknowledge Isaac Ward’s leadership and contribution as the executive responsible for our energy business over the last 12 months and Paula Bautista and Carlos Hernandez who lead the wonderful customer service team in Manila.

“Our investment in amaysim energy has delivered solid returns since acquisition in 2017. However, we believe that going forward the business will be best suited in the hands of AGL. The energy business has delivered $87.8 million of underlying EBITDA in just three years and supported the mobile business.

"Looking ahead, we believe transitioning to a pure-play Mobile business will deliver long term shareholder value. We will now be solely focused on delivering on the growth of mobile as we progress the tender for our wholesale mobile network provider.”

The acquisition from My Mobile Data Pty Ltd - which trades as OVO Mobile - comes with the signing of a binding agreement by the two companies, with the transaction expected to complete “imminently”.

The ASX-listed Amayisim said the acquisition - expected to be earnings accretive - would bring its total subscriber base to 1.17 million.

Amaysim (ASX: AYS) said the acquisition of OVO subscribers accelerates one of the company’s strategic initiatives to grow its recurring mobile subscriber base.

{loadposition peter}

Migration of OVO subscribers to amaysim is expected to complete in less than four months, following the recent migration of 41,000 Jeenee subscribers in less than three months.

amaysim’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Peter O’Connell said, “The acquisition of OVO Mobile’s subscribers is further evidence of the execution of our strategic initiative to grow the recurring mobile subscriber base, both organically and through bolt-on acquisitions.

“Under our asset-light operating structure, we are able to scale the subscriber base with no, or nominal, additional resources, delivering positive future earnings from the acquired base.

“Having completed the integration of Jeenee Mobile in less than three months, we have the skills and experience to accomplish an efficient and successful migration and we look forward to welcoming OVO customers to the amaysim family.

“We have been pleased with how our business has performed in the second half of the financial year, despite the current challenges facing the economy, and we’re delighted to be able to report that we are on track to achieve our FY2020 underlying EBITDA guidance.”

The company's founder, Peter Adderton, was quoted by News Limited as saying carriers did not support eSIMs because it gave users the power to switch at will. Boost resells Telstra's mobile service.

Not a single major Australian carrier has yet announced support for eSIMs which came into prominence after the recent Apple launch of its XS and XR models.

As iTWire editor Stan Beer pointed out in an op-ed last month, the eSIM capability would be a significant advantage to Australians who travel overseas frequently.

{loadposition sam08}"An eSIM is an embedded chip in the phone that is software writable, so in future users could switch mobile operators without changing a physical SIM," Beer wrote.

The News Limited report quoted an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission spokesman as saying it was watching the movement of telcos to support the new technology.

Adderton told News Limited: "The carriers do not support eSIM because that puts the power into consumers’ hands and the consumers can leave without having do to a SIM swap.

“Subscribers should be able to move, if you do the best job and offer the best plan and the best network and give good customer service you should keep that customer.

“Carriers will have lost the ability to be able to lock you in to their network, because you will be able to take your same phone and switch to another network seamlessly.”

Telstra has 43% of mobile subscribers in Australia, Optus 28% and Vodafone 18%, with smaller companies catering to the remaining 11%.

LivePerson announced a new group of brands on its chat platform as Apple added 30 new brands worldwide to Business Chat, which it launched last year as a way for iOS users to communicate directly with businesses using iMessage on iPhone and iPad.

As well as Telstra and Harvey Norman, LivePerson says Burberry, KDDI, Vodafone Germany, buddybank, and NH Hotels, and others, now use its LiveEngage platform to enable their consumers to ask questions, get help, and make purchases from the messages app on iPhone and iPad.

This second wave of major brands added to LiverPerson follows the first wave LivePerson helped launch on Apple Business Chat, including Aramark, Discover, Lowe’s, The Home Depot and T-Mobile.

“{loadposition peter}“Conversational commerce is becoming a standard, because conversations are the oldest, most natural way for consumers to interact with a brand – there is no interface to learn,” said Robert LoCascio, founder and chief executive, LivePerson.

“The data is clear that consumers love this way of interacting, and brands get better business outcomes with it. Making these experiences work at scale not only requires connectivity to a consumer’s device, but also automation, coordination across thousands of agents, and deep integration to backend systems.

"We bring these key capabilities together in LiveEngage, and we are proud to help another wave of amazing brands launch Apple Business Chat.”

There's a stack of MVNOs out there – those mobile virtual network operators who piggy-back onto a telco's network to offer what are generally quality deals at low prices.

You've surely heard of all the major players – Amaysim, Kogan Mobile, Boost Mobile (which pretends it isn't an MVNO, but really is), OVO Mobile, Vaya and dozens more.

Catch Connect is powered by the Optus network, and it is the network on offer and the inclusions that differentiate each player.

{loadposition alex08}While there are telcos that offer more data, or added inclusions such as international calls, or data rollover, or 28-day plans, Catch Connect keeps it simple.

It offers unlimited standard national talk and text, and various amounts of data.

There are three plans – 2GB for $15, 5GB for $25 and 15GB for $35.

Naturally, with the 99c deal on offer, which is available until 11am on 10 September, each plan is just 99c for new customers, after which the plan recharges at its normal amount.

Savvy MVNO users who always seek the best deal and haven't churned to Catch Connect yet might take the deal for 29 days and then churn elsewhere, but you can only do that so many times before you're not a new customer with any of the MVNOs offering special deals.

Indeed, you have to be really dedicated to want to stuff around with all of the chopping and changing, and that's why companies like Catch Connect, Kogan Mobile, OVO, Amaysim and others do these special deals from time to time as they know inertia keeps most customers connected.

So, if you're looking to try out a different provider, you're not on an existing contract and you haven't been a Catch Connect customer before, the chance to save some money is available.

Full plan details here. 

ALDImobile has upped the stakes again, announcing that as of today all of its Value Packs will offer data rollover with "no expiry date", allowing Aussies to continuously roll over their data "without a time limit".

The MVNO world is always changing, with data plans increasing too, as ALDImobile also announces increasing the data offering for its largest plans: the XXL and the Jumbo plan, which launched just a year ago.

These plans will now offer 20GB and 30GB, respectively, and will remain the same price.

{loadposition alex08}Naturally, however, that's not all – there's always more to entice pre-paid users to churn and switch over to a better deal.

For the first time ever, ALDImobile announces it is "also launching a four-week special 365-day data only pack, which includes 240GB for $395", which obviously entices customers to move quickly to secure the deal, while locking people in as customers for a year, but at great value.

This plan is available from today, 8 August. ALDImobile is also bumping up the data for its $30 and $95 data packs.

As ALDImobile notes, all of its plans "give users access to its reliable, Telstra-powered 4G network and offer 30-day expiry".

More information about the new plans is at ALDImobile here. 

Watch out, Kogan, Amaysim, Boost, OVO, Aldi, Vaya and everyone else – Catch Connect surely knows it can't catch any competitor truly unawares with top value deals given the highly competitive market we're in, but the company can certainly try!

It's all about capturing the churning customer and getting them onto your service, be it for 28 days, 30 days, 90 days or 365 days, depending on the deals on offer and the telco offering them, and then hoping your service and value is more than good enough for that customer to stay connected.

Of course, each telco and MVNO is churning through new plans and better deals to capture all those fickle churners these days, as prepaid users who have cut the cord on expensive phone plans show their loyalties to whichever telco is offering the best deal, but that's life, and one of the joys of capitalism.

So, what are the deals being offered by Catch Connect, and when do the deals expire?

{loadposition alex08}Well, obviously the deals from Catch Connect give you "unlimited talk and text to standard numbers in Australia for 90 days", and then give you a different amount of data depending on the plan you choose and the price you're prepared to pay.

• The most affordable plan is $39 for the first 90 days, offering you 12GB of data over that time period, and as it is a special deal, if you recharge on the same plan after 90 days, you'll get 6GB.
• The second plan is $69 for the first 90 days, offering you 30GB of data. If or when you recharge on the same plan after 90 days, you'll get 15GB.
• The jumbo-sized third plan is $89 for the first 90 days, offering you a whopping 90GB of data, which is less than a dollar a day. Subsequent 90 day recharges give you 45GB.

As per usual with these plans, they're only on offer to "new customers only", and the deals runs until 2nd October at 11am, so new customers have a while to grab their bargain, which is handy because some will be on existing 90 day or other plans with some other telco and will probably want to run the clock out on those plans first to get the most value from what they've already paid.

Full details of the deal can be seen at Catch Connect here, so if any of the deals have caught your eye, you know where to go to get connected!

It's official – Vodafone offers the cheapest unlimited mobile data plan at $60 per month for 40GB on a month-to-month basis or 60GB on a 12-month contract, after which you are shaped to 1.5Mbps speeds.

This beats Telstra's 30GB for $69 on a 12-month contract unleashed this week, whereupon 1.5Mbps shaping will occur, with both telcos suggesting you could be slowed further in peak times.

The thing is, I want to know when someone will offer an unlimited plan capped at 1.5Mbps or faster speeds at under $40.

Yes, I know - TPG said back in May it would offer a free unlimited plan with full speeds for the first gigabyte and then capped at 1Mbps thereafter, which is kind of what I am talking about, except TPG's will apparently only be available in a very limited set of suburbs, and starts off at "full speed" before going down to 1Mbps. 

What I want to see is someone challenge that with a 1 or 1.5Mbps or faster speed plan from the start, at a cheap price, without offering any full speed component, to keep things cheap, cheerful and available across a telco's entire Austalia-wide network.

{loadposition alex08}Will it be an MVNO challenger like Kogan Mobile, Amaysim, Catch Mobile, Vaya or even Boost Mobile, which is the MVNO that doesn't consider itself an MVNO but effectively is one anyway?

I pay for a Telstra MX plan on a 12-month contract with 15GB per month for $39, and last month I upgraded my Vodafone plan to the $60 month-to-month plan with 40GB data then capped to 1.5Mbps, as I was going overseas and I wanted this huge amount of data available to me if I wanted to use it for $5 roaming per day. 

I made sure to use all 40GB over the last month very quickly once I was back in Australia, primarily by uploading videos and video interviews I recorded and conducted to YouTube, and then was "stuck" on 1.5Mbps for about 15 days on Vodafone.

Actual download speeds according to Ookla's Speedtest app was slightly above 1.5Mbps, with upload speeds going to around 3Mbps while capped.

Vodafone actually let me download several extra gigabytes of data before they shaped me to 1.5Mbps speeds, and although my plan isn't due to reset until tomorrow, according to the My Vodafone app, the download speeds have already ramped back up to between 10 and 20mbps up and down, which would be much faster were I closer to the CBD than I am as I type this. 

But what was it like being capped at 1.5Mbps?

Well, it was perfectly fine. Browsing was normal, I was able to stream Sky News via the Foxtel app is perfectly clear and non-fuzzy definition – it looked sharp and clear, in fact, it was great! Unlimited streaming of live TV, YouTube and more if I wanted it, wonderfully watchable, even at "just" 1.5Mbps. 

I was able to stream 2GB, ABC and other radio stations without issue.

I used the personal hotspot feature to connect to my Mac, other iPhones and Androids, all at the same time, and didn't have a problem.

Now, I didn't try watching 4K Netflix or download huge files, but while Netflix obviously wouldn't have streamed in 4K, large file downloading would have worked just fine, it just would have been slower than a 10, 20, 50 or faster Mbps connection.

So, the question is, which telco or MVNO will be brave and be first to offer a low cost unlimited data planned capped at 1.5Mbps, with a higher price per month for someone who might want a 5Mbps capped speed plan, or a 12Mbps capped speed plan?

Such a plan, 1.5Mbps unlimited capped speeds, would be a perfect plan for my Mum. She's nowhere near a heavy user, she barely uses the 7GB she has now per month on a Kogan Mobile plan, but she listens to a lot of Apple Music via HomePod at home.

If she had an unlimited data SIM at a cheaper price, she could and would use her phone for data a lot more than she does now.

Also, as time goes by, and as ever closer 5G networks not only start arriving, but start getting built across Australia (and the world), we'll see more and cheaper unlimited data plans on 4G networks at ever faster capped speeds.

The network will have to be able to handle all those faster capped speeds with more users on it, but 5G networks connected to all that fibre backhaul underpinning the NBN and telco's own backhaul networks will have to grow to continue handling it all.

I'd love to see a $40 plan with unlimited data at 1.5mbps speeds, or obviously even cheaper still, with unlimited voice and text in Australia too, of course.

Will it be Kogan? Amaysim? OVO? Boost? Catch Connect? Vaya? Aldi Mobile? Belong? Lebara? Someone else like TPG?

My bet is someone like Kogan, OVO or Amaysim will be first to offer such a plan, if they can only convince their telco partner to let them do it.

I'm sure this will happen. The only question is when, and who will be first to do it, and then how fast will all that MVNO or telco's competitors will rush to copy the plan?

We've already established that unlimited data plans are now available in Australia. Now we're just haggling on price, and if time, true competition and real capitalism teaches us, the price will only go down or you'll get more for your money.

C'mon Kogan... Amaysim... OVO... Boost... Catch... Aldi... someone out there.

Bring forth the unlimited data, voice and text plan for those who have zero interest in downloading huge files from whatever sources these files are downloaded, for the people of all ages who just want everyday browsing but without having to pay $60+ per month to do it.

Will it happen in 2018? Does anyone have the guts to make it happen? Is it affordable though, can MVNOs and their telco partners still make a profit?

Hint, hint, figure it out! People just want the "peace of mind" without having to pay $60+ per month to do it, and while this speed will be too slow for millennials, they aren't the bulk of the market who care about such things. 

We also want this on a month-to-month basis, without 12- or 24-month contracts!

Promising to "guarantee" data satisfaction "this winter with new pre-paid plans", Boost Mobile is offering "more data and increased international call inclusions on Boost Anytime Plus plans".

Aimed at satisfying "the data hungry youth of today", and presumably anyone else of any age that wants value, Boost says its "Anytime Plus mobile plans will see an increase to data inclusions on every recharge with $10, $20, $30 and $50 plans, with increases ranging up to 10GB".

"All plans from $30 and up also include data rollover, with unused data rolling over to use within the next recharge."

{loadposition alex08}Boost Mobile tells us it "has also increased the standard international call inclusions across the $30, $40 and $50 plans until 25 February 2019, launching unlimited international calls and SMS to 50 countries.

"On the $30 recharge, consumers will get unlimited standard international calls to 10 countries plus 100 mins to standard numbers in 40 countries and 100 standard international texts to 50 countries.

"On $40 and $50 recharges, customers will get unlimited standard international calls to 15 countries, plus 100 mins to standard numbers in 35 countries and 100 standard international texts to 50 countries."

Jason Haynes, the general manager of Boost Mobile, said: "We’re constantly working to give our customers more of what they want, and we know that data is key driver for pre-paid plan choice.

"Today we can comfortably say that Boost Mobile Anytime Plus plans offer the most compelling data inclusions on the market, on the best network, and unlike other prepaid plan offers, are available with every recharge.

“Boost Mobile wants to always support the hyper-connected data hungry youth of today, who will now have even more data than before, on the best network with the best coverage.

"This enables Boost Mobile customers to not only watch the content they want, when they want, but also where ever they want.

“Youth don’t experience life just being at home in your own town or city, they love to explore, travel and experience life, it may be to the next music festival, an amazing beach or even going camping.

"With Boost Mobile, they always have the data they need, on a network that provides the coverage needed to go with it.”

Here's the new plans pricing grid – turn phone sideways to see full image:

How will Boost promote these plans?

"To promote the refreshed plans, Boost Mobile will continue it’s GET MORE brand campaign, which challenges data hungry consumers to “get satisfied” with its latest offerings.

"Boost Mobile’s fleet of brand ambassadors will continue to feature throughout the campaign, including world BMX and mountain biking champion Caroline Buchanan, Life Without Andy’s Mitch Tomlinson and Christopher Kevin (24 Karat Kev), lifestyle influencer Chloe Chapman, and pro-surfer Ethan Ewing."

"From 3 July, all new customers will automatically receive the new core Boost Anytime Plus data inclusions when activating a Boost Handset or Pre-Paid SIM Starter Kit.

"Existing customers on the Boost Anytime Plus plans will have the extra data and international call inclusions automatically included on their next recharge.

"If existing Boost customers joined before October 2017 have not changed over to Boost Anytime Plus, they can switch to the new offer to get these inclusions. With more data, more coverage and more choice, Boost Mobile is the perfect mobile companion to see out the remainder of 2018."

Availability:

Boost Mobile pre-paid offers will be available from 3 July online here, or at one of 12,000 retail outlets Australia-wide including AusPost, BigW, Coles, JB HiFi, Kmart, Target, 7 Eleven and Woolworths.

International call inclusions:

On the $30 recharge consumers will get: 

• Unlimited standard IDD to 10 countries (New Zealand, the UK, the US, China, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Ireland, Vietnam, Brazil); plus
• 100 mins to standard numbers in 40 countries (American Samoa, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, Hungry, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand); plus
• 100 standard international texts to 50 countries (New Zealand, the UK, the US, China, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Ireland, Vietnam, Brazil, American Samoa, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong, Hungry, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand)

On the $40 or $50 recharge consumers will get:

• Unlimited standard IDD to 15 countries (New Zealand, the UK, the US, China, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Ireland, Indonesia, France, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Brazil) plus
• 100 mins to standard numbers in 35 countries (American Samoa, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Guam, Hungry, Iceland, India, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan) plus
• 100 standard international SMS to 50 countries (New Zealand, the UK, the US, China, Canada, Germany, Malaysia, Ireland, Indonesia, France, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Brazil, American Samoa, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Guam, Hungry, Iceland, India, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Mongolia, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Slovak Republic, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan)
  
  If you’d like to call a country that is not on this list you will need to purchase a $15 Add-On. More info here. 

The OVO "rovolution" continues apace, with yet more content available not only for anyone to watch via the freely available Ovoplay platform, but also completely data-free for subscribers of OVO's competitively-priced mobile plans.

Under the agreement, we're told: "The Brumbies will broadcast each match of the week from the ACT Club Rugby John I Dent Cup on OVOPlay from July.

"It will also broadcast highlights, interviews and behind the scenes content making it all available free to air for Australians, and data-free for OVO subscribers."

{loadposition alex08}Is that all? Of course not!

The company tells us that "with more Club Rugby organisations in talks with OVO to follow the lead set by the Brumbies, OVO is working toward introducing a self serve-production platform for grass roots rugby clubs to live broadcast and upload their own events to the platform by early 2019".

The Brumbies aren't new to streaming – they started doing so with John I Dent matches in 2016, but "sought out OVO after seeing the success it had delivered to the likes of Water Polo Australia and Gymnastics Australia in building audience and encouraging participation in the sports".

Brumbies general manager of commercial partnerships, Tom Fallaw said: "Club rugby is in the midst of a resurgence in Australia. The fact that we had more than 140,000 online views just in the ACT and southern NSW of John I Dent matches last year shows the size of the audience for our sport.

"We want to grow our audience and better connect with our supporters, and we know the majority of those people are watching sport on their mobiles more than any other channel.

"Our streaming to-date has been a great start, but we need a dedicated platform to take full advantage of the groundswell of interest in club rugby.

"OVO gives us the best way to get in front of the community of fans who are keen to engage with the John I Dent Cup and the Brumbies, and will enable a deeper connection between fans of rugby in this country and the competitions that make the sport great."

Like the majority of sports supported through digital broadcasting on OVOPlay, OVO said it "expects the community of ACT Club Rugby participants, friends and families tuning in to grass roots matches will quickly grow into a larger and more diverse fan community as John I Dent matches and other highlights come onto the platform".

OVO chief executive Matt Jones said: "Every sport that we've introduced to OVOPlay has quickly built its fan base.

"The opportunity for rugby is huge, not only to get the support of a broadcasting platform to push content and attract an audience, but also with the funding and other benefits that will follow.

"The Brumbies and rugby fans more broadly will join the other 1.5 million fans that have watched content on OVO in 2017.

"We're excited to be working with one of Australia's best-loved sports and help build their club level audience. The Brumbies have been pioneers in bringing Club Rugby to mobile, and we're all set to help them capitalise on growing interest in the foundation competitions of the sport in this country.

"As we grow the rugby channel on OVOPlay, it'll continue to bring more competitions across the country together, offering data-free access to amazing matches and content fans would never normally get to see."

The Brumbies will "commence broadcasting current John I Dent Cup matches on OVOPlay each week from July, joining the likes of gymnastics, water polo, motorsports and esports on the platform".

And, as OVO reminds us, "all content on OVOPlay is available free-to-stream, and is also available data-free to OVO mobile subscribers".

So, there you have it. The "rovolution" won't just be televised, it will be streamed, and everyone's "ovited"!