Vodafone customers can now include friends and family on rival networks Telecom and 2degrees in the company’s ‘Best Mate’ plans, relabelled NZBestMate.

The move is thought to partly reflect efforts by the Commerce Commission to stop networks discouraging their customers from making calls to rival networks, which is seen as anti-competitive.

The NZBestMate plans offer customers up to 1000 minutes of calling and 1000 texts to any mobile, or 1000 minutes of calling to any landline.

Customers on ‘smart plan’ contracts paying $45 or $65 per month will be able to choose one NZBestMate, while those paying $85, $100 or $150 will be able to choose three.

One NZBestMate will also be included in $35 or $45 Prepay Smart bundles.

Go here for more on Vodafone’s plans.