Vodafone have recently started a new 'bolt-on' type thing called Vodafone Family.

Vodafone Family
Vodafone Family allows one person (known as the group owner) to pay £5 for unlimited calls (upto 60mins per call) between a group of 4 people (including the group owner).

Basically, anyone out of the group of 4 can ring another group member on their Vodafone mobile anytime of the day without paying anything providing each call lasts no longer than 60mins.  Only the group owner pays just £5 per month (no other group member has to pay this).

This is only for calls between group members and only to other Vodafone mobiles only - not to landlines or other mobiles and of course subject to each call being less than 60mins.  However, there is no reason why you can't disconnect and reconnect to avoid being charged.

Each person can belong to a maximum of 3 groups themselves so it's possible that for a family of 3 that each member can start their own group and include their own friends/family, etc.  Giving possibly free calls between mum/dad and kids and the kids being able to have groups of their own for their own friends.

For more information on Vodafone Family, see this page.  The t&c are here.

The tariff(s)
Vodafone currently do two tariffs as follows:-

AnyNet
Peak calls (daytime Mon-Fri 7.30am - 7.30pm (daytime) are 30p/min to other mobiles (including cross network) and landlines.
Off-Peak calls (other times) are 10p/min to other mobiles (including cross network) and landlines.

AnyTime
30p/min for the first 3mins each day and thereafter pay 10p/min.  This is for calls to other mobiles (including cross network) and landlines.

With both these tariffs, calls to numbers beginning 08x may vary from the the rates above depending on number called and/or tariff.

For more information on Vodafone's tariffs see here.

Vodafone's Stop The Clock
If you are on the AnyNet tariff, you can also register for Stop The Clock.  This allows you to only pay for the first 3mins of a call lasting less than 60mins during off-peak times.  In other words, you only pay 30p per call lasting upto 60mins for calls to mobiles (including cross network) and landlines.

For more information on Stop The Clock, see this page.

Potentially this means that providing you don't make that many calls during the daytime you can make calls to other vodafone group members for free and calls to landlines and mobiles for only 30p per call (upto 60mins in length) during the evenings & weekends.

As always remember that you can keep your existing mobile number and port it over to vodafone if you wish to do so providing your phone is unlocked (ie it can take a Vodafone simcard).  Vodafone are currently charging £2 for their simcards - more information here.

But if you need a larger group, one person can pay £7 a month for unlimited calls between 6 people .

Might suit some small businesses. ;)

acezing wrote on Dec 6^th, 2006 at 10:58pm:

But if you need a larger group, one person can pay £7 a month for unlimited calls between 6 people . Might suit some small businesses. ;)

I forgot to mention you can have a bigger group for £2 extra.

The t&c do state it's for personal use and not businesses and also there is a fair use policy so those on the phone constantly would fall foul of the t&c.

Whilst it does say its for personal use only,how would Voda be aware you were using it for business as long as you used it sensibly.

acezing wrote on Dec 7^th, 2006 at 10:52pm:

Whilst it does say its for personal use only,how would Voda be aware you were using it for business as long as you used it sensibly.

If it's PAYG and used for business then voda aren't likely to know (except for high usage).  However, business contracts may flag up on their system when you add numbers to a group, or it may even be automatic when it checks to see if the number you're adding is a vodafone number it may also check to see if it's a business contract as well.

I was told by a friend who works at vodafone, you can register a business number in the group and calls TO the number are free and if the number is on a BUSINESS CONtract, they WILL NOT GET FREE CALLS TO THE REST OF THE GROUP...

Hope this helps....

Kev