This week we’re announcing the best tech of the year. We’re about to announce the best mobile telco of the year! And the winner is…
Thousands of votes were cast in our week long poll to find the best telco of 2013. Here are the winners!
Readers’ Choice
Telstra
Strong 4G coverage and a great handset selection couldn’t keep Telstra away from the top spot this year! Congrats to Telstra on the win.
Editor’s Pick
Vodafone
That’s right. It’s Vodafone. Try not to flip the table over (before you’ve finished reading, anyway).
Vodafone has reportedly invested around $2 billion in its network this year, and it really shows. The 3G network is now passable, and in my opinion, better than Optus’. Voda now has a shiny new 4G network to call its own, too. Sure, it’s not in many places yet, but the strategy of rolling it out with enough spectrum capacity to cope with demand and still provide decent speeds to all who join is a huge comfort to those of us who rail against congestion.
Voda has also had incredible leadership this year from Bill Morrow, so much so that he was picked to lead the National Broadband Network Company. This man knows how to execute a comeback, so his appointment to the NBN is one to watch.
Vodafone is about to start reversing the losses it has made in recent years by adding new customers in the new year. It’s able to do it by reconfiguring its plan offerings to give people more value, not just in their call credit, but also in their data allowances. That bucks the industry trend of scrimping on data in the new smartphone paradigm, and it’s one that Vodafone should be commended for. It’s so good in fact that this editor decided to put his money where his mouth is and switch to Vodafone on a new 12-month contract.
The carrier solved massive global roaming bills with its Red Roaming offer for pete’s sake. That’s enough to land them this award on its own.
Congratulations to Vodafone on an epic 2013. Here’s to 2014.
Honourable Mention
• Kogan Mobile
Our first post-humous award, Kogan Mobile made huge strides to shake up the “Unlimited” pre-paid market this year, before legal hurdles and contractual kerfuffles saw the telco shuttered. Godspeed, Kogan Mobile.