Telefonica Deutschland said that it will offer the new O2 Cloud Pro service, beginning on 3 March, for €4.99 (US $5.40) per month. The service offers unlimited storage on certified EU servers based in Ireland. Users can share data, tables and presentations by using a link protected by a password or just by an expiration date. 

The minimum contract term is one month, and the service is free the first month. The O2 cloud contract ends automatically when the mobile contract signed in conjunction with it terminates. Users can download data up to 30 days after the end of the contract. 

Also beginning on 3 March, the company will offer tariffs for small companies and self-employed subscribers with unlimited calls and texts from Germany to the EU. With the O2 HomeSpot4 and the O2 My Data Spot Unlimited tariff, O2 offers self-employed people a stationary high-speed internet connection as an alternative to the fixed network. Self-employed people who are existing customers can purchase the mobile Wi-Fi router together with the O2 my Data Spot Unlimited for €19.99 (US $21.66) a month.

Tarifica’s Take

Without trying to be all things to all people, there is a great deal that mobile operators, especially large ones, can do to increase their appeal to different kinds of subscribers and increase their overall relevance in an ever more diverse global marketplace.

Cloud storage services are one example of a value-added service that an operator can profitably offer its subscribers. Cloud storage is more and more popular relative to local hard drives, and while individual consumers may be satisfied with the storage that comes with their Gmail or Apple account, businesses are likely to need more. A small business or a home-based business operated by a self-employed person will be in the market for a low-priced offer with flexibility and convenience, and by making O2 Cloud Pro available to those who are not Telefonica subscribers, the operator is maximizing the reach of this offer. Of course, storage that is seamlessly linked to existing mobile accounts is likely to be particularly appealing, so O2 Cloud Pro will likely also be a force for subscriber acquisition. Telefonica Deutschland’s simultaneous offer of plans with hotspots for small businesses and self-employed users is in keeping with the focus on this client demographic.

O2 being the U.K. brand of the Spain-based parent company of Telefonica Deutschland, the branding of this offer under that name appears to be an attempt to broaden its target demographic to users in the U.K. as well as the EU, in light of the Brexit agreement having come into effect on 31 January.