Have you worked out exactly what they're offering?

200 minutes for £18 = 9p per minute.
400 minutes for £24 = 6p per minute.

They'll be making money hand over fist if anyone is foolish enough to sign up!

But, then again, I'm spoilt because (thankfully), I don't have a cable landline but have a BT line, get free evening and weekend geographical calls from my CPS provder, use 1899 for 3p per call daytime geographical calls, 18185 for 5p per minute calls to mobiles (2p at the weekend) and 4p per minute peak 0870 calls ............

OK, here's the maths.

£8 for 200 mins = 4p per minute
£14 for 400 mins = 3.5p per minute

If you're planning to use it to call 0870, or mobile numbers during the day, then it's a good deal.

But remember their comments, it includes everything, and that includes geographic calls that you would have to make via that package, rather than signing up separate for unlimited geo calls.

They of course work out the average customer wouldn't just use the package on the most expensive calls (0870 and mobile daytime) but would also use it to call geo numbers at weekends just as much.

As for evening 0870 calls, and daytime 0845 you're breaking even, and I think some weekend mobiles are quite cheap.

Since we're trying to stamp out using 0870 instead of letting it continue, then this package isn't as good as it sounds, especially when people will use it to call geographic numbers, which should cost far less than 4p per minute to call!!

The fact that the minutes roll over is helpful, as you will be using all that you're paying for, in the time that suits you.

Wonder if it includes 0844 and 0871 numbers.  If so, then it might be worth getting an 0871 number that pays more than 3.5p per minute!!

The service is called Talk Anywhere     Use google - telewest talk  anywhere

This next bit comes straight from the mouth of a customer service op

The monthly payment inclundes the £10 line rental.
You can dial all local and national calls.
All UK mobiles
Any international fixed or mobile.
Any number, in the UK, starting with 08. For example 0870 and 0845. (at this point she was asked would it definately include 0871 and 0844 "cause I use those numbers frequently?" and the answer was repeated, Any number in the UK starting with 08)

.........................................................................

Info found elsewhere.

The service is on trial in the Liverpool area, and set for a national roll out in the year.
Named 'Talk Anywhere,' the service allows people to make calls to UK landlines and mobiles, as well as international calls, for one fixed price that is not affected by time or day.

Telewest's new Talk Anywhere service is the first of its kind in Britain and will give consumers a choice of packages with 200, 400 or 800 minutes per month. The time can be used to phone local, national, international, mobile and internet numbers for a fixed monthly fee, which also includes the phone line rental.

Talk Anywhere 200 - 200 minutes for £18 a month, including line rental   (9p p/m inc rental)      (4p p/m ex rental)
Talk Anywhere 400 - 400 minutes for £24 a month, including line rental   (6p p/m inc rental)      (3.5p p/m ex rental)
Talk Anywhere 800 - 800 minutes for £34 a month, including line rental   (4.25p p/m inc rental)  (3p p/m ex rental)
Unused minutes can be rolled over to the following month and consumers can usually keep their existing phone number if moving from another service provider, such as BT. The cable service is initially being launched in the North West, prior to a national roll-out later in the year

Calls to emergency services (999), freephone numbers and 150 will not use Talk Anywhere minutes.
Calls to premium rate services (09), international premium rate, operator services, directory enquiries and reverse charge calls are also excluded
Should customers exceed their monthly quota of minutes separate, standard rates will apply
Prices shown are for payment by direct debit. Any other payment method will incur a £3 administration charge


And now for something completely different......................
Spotted on one site, NTL are testing out 100mb broadband.
I knew my 10mb wasn't fast enough.
Which means the merger of ntl and telewest will be very good indeed.