Orange, more than just a colour, more than just a fruit, it’s the name of one of the four main UK mobile communication networks. But is it any good, and if it is, why? I am about to reveal.

Orange offers a stupidly high number of tariffs. In fact, more than any other network. This is because of their value match policy, which means that if you like the look of another tariff on any UK network, they will let you have it on their network. Tariffs change or are updated frequently, information is available from their website, detailed at the end of this review.

Personally I chose the Everyday 50 plan before it was discontinued, although I continue to benefit from it until I choose not to. The Everyday 50 plan gives 50 minutes of off-peak calls every day to other Orange mobiles or non-premium-rate landlines (i.e. local rate and national rate are included). Off peak calls are available at nights after 7pm, mornings before 7am and all day on weekends. Text messages (SMS) are available at 10p each on my tariff although this is variable on the tariff chosen. This plan costs 50p per day, so the monthly charge depends on the number of days in the month (total cost between £14 and £15.50).

Multimedia messaging service (MMS) is available too, although this is dependant on your phone. My Nokia handset does not support it so I cannot tell you more about it. Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is supported and I have found the reliability very good. Although I do not rely on this much, it is handy if I need a quick football score, for example, by logging on to the orange homepage and checking the sport section for up-to-date information. These WAP calls are included in the inclusive minutes, if you make the calls during the off-peak time period.

High-speed data services are available; these enable you to connect to the Internet on a laptop computer whilst you are on the move. This service is much more expensive than normal call costs and is aimed primarily at business users. A two minute off peak call cost me 50p. More details regarding high speed services including charges specific to your talk plan can be obtained through dialling 150.

The one type of call that I haven’t discussed so far is the customer care line. For contract customers, dialling 150 from your phone will connect you free of charge to Orange customer support and you can use this service 24 hours a day. One time I locked my handset by mistake at 3am and a call to the Orange customer services at that time of night was very successful: I was given the code (after a security check) almost immediately. A variety of different support options are available, there is an automated menu for recorded information or you can choose to speak directly to an Orange representative. Low-integrity music is played, although there are some recent tunes to be heard whilst you are in a queue or on hold, it can get annoying because the loop is only 20 minutes!

Personally, I have found the quality customer service to be inconsistent. Although I have been impressed at times, it is never possible to tell how helpful your representative is going to be. My view is that the training is not quite right, maybe they have high employee turnover because I have been given bad information on more than one occasion. The Tyneside call centre is one I have often reached, sometimes it is difficult to understand the accent. Some representatives have been quite rude, which I do not expect. Supervisors are available if you really need them, I had a 45 minute dialogue with one recently regarding my problems and it did work, although their provision for complaint is poor: suggesting writing to them in Bristol (of all places!). That’s right, they don’t like you calling to complain!

The network coverage in the UK is excellent, I have only found two places where the signal is weak and I am not there often: overall, even when I am travelling I find the network signal to stay strong, to enable me to keep in touch. The reception is good, if the network being busy ends your call, you will be credited for one minute of free time on your next bill. Recently I have found myself not being cut off at all despite my usual monthly outgoing call duration to be in the range of 50 hours.

Upgrading was certainly an experience. Due to the poor customer service consistency, I was given misinformation before upgrading, and led to believe I would qualify for a certain handset without paying any so called upgrade fee. Well the £79.99 actual cost of upgrading was reduced by £20 upon me demanding a lower price, and further reduced by £30 following a long conversation with a representative. I was delivered this phone within 48 hours despite it being Christmas week, so I found it quite impressive.

On the subject of handsets, unfortunately Orange has a relatively narrow range of models available. This is due to the fact that they program their phones to not accept non-orange SIM cards. Additionally, they enable all models they offer to support a “Line 2” service, which allows you to have two tariffs on one phone. Extra line rental, anyone? The Line 2 service means you can have two numbers, possibly a personal one and a business one, I haven’t yet been tempted to take this on.

Roaming (i.e. using the phone abroad) has been very successful. In France there is an Orange partner network and call charges are laid out very clearly, so no unexpected charges. Using the phone in Spain has been completely hassle-free too, although a 45-minute call did cost me £25. Ouch. Roaming is available in all of continental Europe and beyond, and should you wish to check the prices (countries fall into different bands of charge) this information can be found on the customer support line.

The bills are itemised and arrive monthly, with all the call charges laid out for close examination if necessary. A summary of the number of SMS sent is available at the start in addition to the later breakdown of all individual SMS detailing the time, number sent to and cost of message (before VAT). A similar format is used for the calls, this is all together and the VAT is shown as a whole amount afterwards. The bills are always on time and I have had no problems with the charges.

Dialling 123 from your Orange phone, or on some handsets just pressing ‘1’ can access voicemail. Very handy and the system is easy to use and straightforward to learn. It is possible to record a greeting for your callers when you can’t take your calls; otherwise a polite female voice informs you that the person you are calling is not available. Pressing 2 from the voicemail system enables you to leave a voicemail for another Orange number without ringing their phone. This can be useful if you want to leave a message late at night and don’t want to wake up the person you are trying to contact.

Although this review has principally looked at Orange contract phones, there is a successful JustTalk way of paying, which involves paying up front for calls. This is generally more expensive unless you are an infrequent user and customer support is charged at your standard call rate. JustTalk offers three different ways to pay, check the website for more details.

In conclusion, I like my tariff on Orange. It works for me because many of my friends and family are on the same network. Even disregarding this, the customer care is pretty good and the 24-hour availability is a real plus point. Text messages are sent quickly and there is plenty of support if you should need it. I just wish they had more handsets. Recommended.

Website: www.orange.co.uk