teltarif.de reported today (May 23) that REWE and Penny Markt will start to offer cell phone service starting May 29 in the D1 network. Details are sketchy.

The SIMPLY offer @ REWE will be both post and prepaid. Postpaid is 5.95 per month, 5 ecents to other rewecom users, I think it is 15 cents all other DOMESTIC calls. Prepaid is 25 cents to other DOMESTIC calls, but if you top up with 30 Euros, the price drops to 19 ecents.

The Penny Markt offer is similar but I think only prepaid -- 15 ecents / minute.

http://www.teltarif.de/arch/2006/kw21/s21735.html

As noted, details are sketchy. No mention on http://www.onlinekosten.de/news/ for today.

ALDI talk is getting some competition and D1 is said to be stronger than E+.

What do our German friends think?

Stan

This is the first time I've heard of this myself.

Here is the press release from Rewe themselves:

http://www.rewe-group.com/standards/presse...a=1&view=detail

I was preparing the pages of the 2 new MVNOs like Snaimon wrote me, but I found some strange facts...

At the same question, i.e.:
Ich habe bereits ein Handy. Kann ich dieses mit der PENNY MOBIL [rewecom] Prepaid-Karte nutzen?

Penny:
Sie k?nnen die PENNY MOBIL Prepaid-Karte in der Regel mit jedem Endger?t nutzen, das den GSM 900 Standard unterst?tzt. Das ist bei allen Dual-, Triband- und UMTS-Handys der Fall.

Rewe:
Sie k?nnen rewecom in der Regel auch mit jedem Endger?t nutzen, das den GSM 1800 Standard unterst?tzt. Das ist bei allen Dual-, Triband- und UMTS-Handys der Fall.

Quite strange since they both use the T-Mobile net which is mainly GSM 900, but also 1800 in bigger towns.

Another thing you have to explain me (just curiosity).

Rewecom is owned by: REWE-Zentral-Aktiengesellschaft
PennyMobile is owned by: REWE Deutscher Supermarkt KG aA

Why REWE is offering 2 MVNOs? And what's the sense of Rewecom when Penny is cheaper?

I suspect it is a matter of DISTRIBUTION and selling to the last man or woman. Some people shop in the Rewe stores while others in Pennymarkt. Lots of talk about convenience of BUYING and obtaining refills over on telefon-treff.de. People don't want to travel 20 km to purchase a starter set or refill.

Truly, I do not know why. Maybe our German friends have some better intelligence.

Mobile services have a high market penetration in Germany and they may be trying to wring out the last few customers, holdouts. If they see advdertising in their grocery store where they shop daily or weekly (Aldi, Schlecker rather than on the internet), maybe the will catch a few grandmothers and grandfathers or whoever who are the last holdouts.

There may be a few saavy consumers who recognize value in these offers (if any) -- here I think the pennymobile offer is superior for VOICE. If you want DATA, then you have to go with rewecom. On teltarif there is talk about the poitlessness of the rewecom offer. But remember this discussion is from people who know something and follow current market condidtions.

Stan

I agree but usually people interested in data services know something about mobile phones and follow market conditions... and in any casa Rewe doesn't offer particular cheap rates for data, they are just the usual Xtra rates...

REWE is one large company. REWE Center/Supermarkets are much more widespread than Pennym?rkte. Penny has locations in smaller towns and REWE is also located in small towns/large cities.

They simply use all possible avenues of distribution.

http://www.rewe-group.com/indexEN.htm