Wednesday, 12 August 2009

New downloads page on Plum Communications website

You can now view and download fact sheets and tariff sheets in PDF format from Plum Communications’ website. We hope that this will make it easier for visitors to find information on our products, services and tariffs with less difficulty.

The downloads page breaks down our products and services catalogue into 5 categories:

  • Data Security
  • Broadband Internet Services
  • Mobile Phones
  • Voice Services
  • Telephone Hardware

The page also shows our tariffs for:

  • Directory Enquiries' Numbers
  • International Landline & Mobile Numbers
  • Special Numbers
  • UK Landline and Mobile Numbers

In addition, you can view the UK and International landline and mobiles rates for Plum Mobile Saver, a FREE piece of mobile phone software which allows for low costs calls from mobiles to 08 and international numbers.

You can find the downloads page through

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Oldham town centre car parking charges are halved

In a bid to ease the financial strain, on-street car parking charges in Oldham town centre have been reduced by at least 50%. It follows concerns expressed at meetings of the Oldham Business Improvement District (BID) and Oldham Town Centre Partnership that parking charges were unreasonably high and driving away customers. It is hoped that these new lower prices will encourage more customers to visit Oldham town centre and therefore increase local business.

The new charges are: Up to 15 minutes — 20p (was 40p); Up to 30 minutes — 40p (80p); Up to one hour — 70p (£1.40); Up to one hour and 30 minutes — £1.10 (£2.30). The maximum stay has been extended by 30 minutes to two hours — for a £1.50 fee.

Councillor Lynne Thompson, cabinet member for finance and resources, said: “It is crucial that Oldham Council listens to and acts upon the genuine concerns of traders and residents who use the town centre. Customers are more likely to visit their shops specifically for a one-off visit rather than browsing and we’re confident — based on what traders and shoppers have told us — that slashing these charges will help promote the health of the High Street.”

Many local traders have expressed their delight with the new lower charges. Let’s hope that the charges do help businesses in the town centre.

Thursday, 6 August 2009

Interest rates held at 0.5% for a 5th month

The Bank of England has announced that interest rates are to be kept at 0.5% for the time being, only the 5th month that the rate hasn’t changed since last September. This stall in changing the interest rates highlights how highly the Bank of England is prioritising its attempts to encourage banks to start lending again, therefore boosting credit and raising the ‘nominal spending’ (the cash value of spending) in the economy.

The Bank of England has also injected a further £50bn of fresh money into the economy this month, therefore meaning that £175bn has now been spent on quantitative easing. In a statement, they said that the UK recession "appears to have been deeper than previously thought". Similarly, the European Central Bank (ECB) has kept its interest rates in the eurozone (i.e. those countries who use the Euro) at a record low of 1% for the 3rd month in a row, after it was cut from 1.25% in May, its 7th cut since last October, in an attempt to help restore economic growth in the eurozone.

You can watch a news broadcast on this topic below:


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“Communications not dented by downturn” according to Ofcom communications report

Ofcom's sixth Communications Market Report into the £52 billion TV, radio, broadband, telecoms and mobile industries has found that Britons are more willing to cut back on holidays and meals out than on spending on communication technology during the recession.

When the 862 people surveyed where asked which items they were likely to cut back on, 47 per cent said they would choose to cut back on going out for dinner, 41 per cent on DIY and 41 per cent on holidays. This compares with only a fifth (19 per cent) who would cut back on mobile phone spend, 16 per cent on TV subscriptions and 10 per cent on their broadband services. To view the full report please click here for a PDF version or a detailed summary. For a breakdown of the report in a particular region in England, click here.

Some general findings from the report found:

• 50% of internet users use Facebook
• There were 2.6m Twitter users in May 2009
• Men are more likely to watch catch-up TV
• Leeds has the highest take-up rate for mobile broadband (29%)
• Mobile broadband take up was lowest in the Scottish Borders (3%)

In relation to telecoms, 7 key themes have become apparent in the report:

Figures regarding the use of mobiles and broadband have also been released:

Mobile phone facts and figures

  • Almost 77 million mobile subscriptions - up 3 million on the year
  • Nearly 30 million mobile phone contracts - up more than 3 million
  • Pay as you go connections down by 100,000 to just under 47 million
  • Over 80 billion texts sent last year - an average of 100 texts per person, per month
  • More than 100 billion minutes of calls - equivalent of 123 minutes, per mobile, per month

Broadband facts and figures

  • 17% growth in the number of UK homes with broadband.
  • 19 million (50 per cent) of internet users now visit Facebook
  • 29% of homes in Leeds have mobile broadband - the highest in the UK
  • 22% of homes in the Highlands and Islands have mobile broadband
  • 21% of internet users had used VoiP in 2008

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New tram stops in Bury and proposed 2nd city line in Manchester City Centre

Government funding has been granted to build two new Metrolink stops - Queens Road and Abraham Moss - on the Bury line. Transport Minister Sadiq Khan announced the funding on Tuesday as part of £30m million allocated to new transport projects. A Manchester Evening News broadcast of the news can be viewed here. Also, plans to add a tram line from Rochdale to Manchester via Cross Street in Manchester City Centre, as a means of bypassing Piccadilly Gardens and St Peter's Square, have been sent to government officials for approval. Please scroll down to read more on both events.

New tram stops

Following news of new tram stops being introduced in Oldham previously, new stops are to now be added in Bury. Councillor Keith Whitmore, chair of the Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority Chair (GMITA), said of the new tram stops: “This is fantastic news for people living in North Manchester. These new stops will open up transport opportunities to thousands more households in the area.”

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