View Full Version : New Tariffs - Attn vodacom3g
vodacom3g
It's Feb 1. New packages time.
Please post a link where we can see what you guys are now offering.
Thanks
vodacom3g
01-02-2005, 10:22 AM
PCW
Indeed it is. There was some delay with the new logos. They're working on it. It should have been up and as soon as it is, I'll let you know.
The tariffs are exactly as posted here in other threads. Please let us know if you have any questions, we can attend to in the mean time.
Thanks vodacom3g
I read from the Vodacom CEO that some packages will tie in a voice deal with the 3G card service. Is that still accurate?
Info is now on Vodacom site:
http://www.vodacom.co.za/packages/3g/tariffs.aspx
vodacom3g
01-02-2005, 11:25 AM
Thanks, you beat me to it. :)
What you'll see is different Service Provides (VSP, being one) come up with various bundles and offers, the same way they create unique offers for GSM packages.
As these are not driven by Vodacom we don't always have insight in what they'll launch. However, if anything comes my way, I'll post it here.
I dont see any details on connection fees, the cost of the data card if you only want the 250MB package etc..??
bb_matt
01-02-2005, 11:49 AM
No discount at all on the higher packages ???
I'm still gob-smacked at a charge of R1,797 for 3gig - that's insane, totally and utterly insane.
Oh well. Think I'll stick with ADSL for a while longer ... :D
vodacom3g
01-02-2005, 12:52 PM
PCW -
Data Cards are sold by the SP's and as such they'll determine pricing.
Will check up on connection fees, if any.
bb_matt -
It was posted that the higher bundles will be a multiple of R599. However, your comment has been passed on. ;)
Vodacom3g,
If I take one of the smaller (<1GB) data bundles, how will I know when I've used up all of the allocated usage?
ADSL ISPs send (or try to, at least) an email to customers warning them that they are nearing their 3 GByte limit. It would be very convenient if Vodacom can offer a service like this for all data bundles. Otherwise I will have to continuously add up my usage after each session to prevent accidently going over my limit and having to pay the out-of-bundle rate.
bb_matt
01-02-2005, 01:13 PM
bb_matt -
It was posted that the higher bundles will be a multiple of R599. However, your comment has been passed on. ;)
Well, I guess the costings are to catch the 'must-have it' early adopters ?
vodacom3g - what are the actual benefits for laptops of 3G over say iBurst ?
For that R1,797 3gig package, what does it offer you that iBurst doesn't ?
To all intents and purposes, your paying over a thousand rands more for a comparable service - there would need to be some major incentive for your average business man to go with 3G for thier laptop.
One incentive that will most likely come to pass far quicker than iBurst would be network coverage - that much is obvious.
For the a phone, I can't see anyone needing 3gig, so that's not as much of an issue. The lower end packages for this have some logic behind them - 3G 75 for instance would be great for phone users to send emails, but effectively useless for laptops.
Harley79
01-02-2005, 01:20 PM
Vodacom3G,
why is it that Vodacom cannot allow, even a one month, roll over of excess bandwidth? The chance of someone using EXACTLY 1 gig, is almost non-existant. The chance of someone using 850 meg this month, and 1.1 gig next month, is VERY high. Is this not just another way of "robbing" 3G users? We have already paid a very high price for out 1gig, paid with hard cash. Now at the end of the month, you just to "adjust" the price we paid per meg, by taking away what we did not use. Vodacom does it on voice calls so why not with the data?
Please could you fully explain why Vodacom, if not for the reason I have stated above, is refusing to have a roll-over system
Else perhaps Vodacom should refund us at R2/meg, works both ways should it not?
Thanks
rabbiddog
01-02-2005, 01:22 PM
good point
vodacom3g
01-02-2005, 01:36 PM
[QUOTE=ajax]If I take one of the smaller (<1GB) data bundles, how will I know when I've used up all of the allocated usage? QUOTE]
Currently you need to check your usage on vodacom4me. Under Profile->Usage, you'll see you stats to within a 3 hour window. Work is being done to make the window smaller as well as providing more proactive feedback, probably via SMS.
A question for the forum:
What should happen when you reach your cap?
1- Do you get notified and pay out-of-bundle?
2- Do you get blocked and given the choice of buying another bundle or paying out-of-bundle and then get re-activated?
3- What are acceptable notification points? 50% and 80%, for example?
hArTh
01-02-2005, 02:02 PM
Customer should be able to choose 1 or 2.
3. Sounds good.
bb_matt
01-02-2005, 02:07 PM
[QUOTE=ajax]If I take one of the smaller (<1GB) data bundles, how will I know when I've used up all of the allocated usage? QUOTE]
Currently you need to check your usage on vodacom4me. Under Profile->Usage, you'll see you stats to within a 3 hour window. Work is being done to make the window smaller as well as providing more proactive feedback, probably via SMS.
A question for the forum:
What should happen when you reach your cap?
1- Do you get notified and pay out-of-bundle?
2- Do you get blocked and given the choice of buying another bundle or paying out-of-bundle and then get re-activated?
3- What are acceptable notification points? 50% and 80%, for example?
International throttled, local access still usable - it would be rather irritating to completely block access and more irritating to go over your alloted bandwidth and get charged for it.
I vote for Harley79's suggestion strongly - any data not used should roll over - to not do so essentially means the user is paying for something they are not receiving.
Anyway, these are all moot points in the face of the frankly exorbitant costs - I do keep harping on about that eh ? - and I'll keep on harping on about it to anyone who cares to listen.
rabbiddog
01-02-2005, 02:08 PM
I feel notification at 80% and I would more than likely buy another bundle all depending on what day of the month it is. Or as harley says why not have a months carryover?
i'm just happy that i can now "affordably" grab my mail on the move thru just bluetooth/gprs. my laptop doesnt need flying downloads, just email on the go. so for 2 bucks a meg... WELL DONE VODACOM (ok its still hell of a expensive, but how many text emails can i send for less than a phone call) (ex mtn customer)
rabbiddog
01-02-2005, 03:22 PM
bb_matt
They dont throttle the bandwidth, but it looks like they need to buy some and become an ISP.
I vote for Harley79's suggestion strongly - any data not used should roll over - to not do so essentially means the user is paying for something they are not receiving.
Anyway, these are all moot points in the face of the frankly exorbitant costs - I do keep harping on about that eh ? - and I'll keep on harping on about it to anyone who cares to listen.
I agree, If minutes are carried over on contract as well as prepaid, why not data then? I think it would be advantageous to Vodacom since a customer who has not used up all of the available usage would not immediately migrate to a different network if cheaper options become available from them. I for one will be using prepaid, and since the bundles now expire after 30 days, each month I will be evaluating which of the 3 networks are cheaper and simply switch over (this obviously only applies to GPRS for now).
However, if I can buy 1 GByte of data, but I only need 150 MB per month, Vodacom can be assured of my business for at least a couple of months.
Anyways, thanx Vodacom3g for your responses and info thus far.
ghostim
01-02-2005, 06:17 PM
Me thinks its time to make a cost calculation between all the different internet access options available to try and sort out all this crap about international bandwith being expensive.
lohanj
01-02-2005, 06:40 PM
I went to Nashua Mobile @ Vodaworld today to get a 250Mb 3G bundle. Not only did they charge SIM and connection fees (both which is free, according to the pack the card came in), but neither they nor the people at Vodacare had any idea of the new packages! I'm now stuck with a 1Gb contract -- I wonder if this can be corrected?
Hmm... any ideas?
Harley79
01-02-2005, 06:47 PM
Ummm, so why did you sign a 1gig contract anyway?
Decotey
01-02-2005, 11:15 PM
3G ten - R5 990
/me falls off chair
R6k for 10gb?... INSANE
sorry I have nothing positive to say about that :p
alchamy
02-02-2005, 02:34 AM
For heavy users the new pricing makes absolutely no difference, however for those of us at the bottom using a few megs a month for e-mail etc, its a greatly appreciated change.
Cant see myself using 3G just yet, although once more respectable 3G phones come out I will make the jump.
VQuest
02-02-2005, 07:11 AM
I totally agree alchamy. The new packages mean I will be getting 3G. I will now be able to easily check my email on the move - which is exactly what I wanted. Without the release of the new packages I wouldn't have touched 3G with a 10 foot pole. If they had at least been comparable to the ADSL pricing/gig structure I might have considered the "expensive" package.
The only problem now is the phones. I don't quite understand why they would release the product before the necessary "tools" aka phones where on the market. I'm certainly not going to go out and buy what has to be one of the ugliest phones (E1000) out there just to get 3G. (My apologies to E1000 owners).
vodacom3g, no one can tell me when the Nokia 3G phone will be released. Can you not give us an idea when this phone will be available? My upgrade is in as little as 10 days. If the phone is only going to be released in 6 months then I'm not prepared to wait. But if it's going to be in a month then I will obviously wait. So can you please give us an idea. I know I'm not the only one waiting for the release of this phone.
bb_matt
02-02-2005, 08:33 AM
It's the early adopter syndrome.
Common sense would dictate that people should wait to see what MTN and Cell-C bring to the market, however, if everyone had common sense, there wouldn't be any early adopters :D
And we're all guilty of having no common sense from time to time.
I agree that the lower cost packages for phones are a good idea - affordable enough to send/receive emails on the move and possibly a bit of low graphic web-surfing.
The higher end packages are, in a word, so stupid, it's incomprehensible how anybody could've come up with those prices - possibly they drew them from a hat ? :rolleyes:
While a HUGE section of our IT and specifically ISP industry is gunning to lower prices, along comes Vodacom and slaps everyone in the face with the most stunningly high prices, effectively dealing a nasty blow to price competitiveness.
Idiots.
damn.. was excited about the new gprs tarrifs, so hooked up my phone last night and its so much slower than my mtn gprs. gosh now i see why mtn still are charging 50 bucks a meg.... its quality
I'm probably going to sound like an idiot here, but what counts toward the bandwidth usage? Just download, not upload?
As for everyone complaining about the high prices - Vodacom = 50% Telkom, always remember that when you see the Vodacom logo. I've liked Vodacom since the beginning, always had great service (same as Telkom but I'm lucky apparently) but the prices for 3G are quite something.. I don't see anyone getting 10GB for 6,000 beans, there just is no way.. perhaps the price will come down if
a) no one uses the system because it's too expensive
b) more people use it because it's affordable
By the looks of it option A would be the case currently, as for some reason only the heavens above know South Africans always get the short end of the stick where value and pricing is concerned with internet access and communications.
vodacom3g
02-02-2005, 10:36 AM
MaD - Your usage is calculated on both up and downloads, that is, everything you send and receive.
VQuest, alchamy - One of the primary reasons 3G was so slow in being adopted worldwide was the lack of handsets. They're only becoming available now. Vodacom is finalising the testing of a few additional handsets and these will be available WELL within the next 6 months :)
Busy getting more info on the Nokia.
All comments, ideas and suggestions on the new packages have been sent to the relevant people. Thanks for these.
vodacom3g
02-02-2005, 10:39 AM
damn.. was excited about the new gprs tarrifs, so hooked up my phone last night and its so much slower than my mtn gprs. gosh now i see why mtn still are charging 50 bucks a meg.... its quality
kvi - can you please pm me with more details, location, etc.
Do you need a South African ISP for the 3G internet access ?
ie can I just use my USA web account for my emails etc.
rabbiddog
02-02-2005, 11:18 AM
All that 3g is, is a way to connect to the net. ISP (if you want one) and mail is up to the user.
vodacom3g
02-02-2005, 11:21 AM
PCW - no, you don't need a local ISP. So your setup will work fine.
Thanks. vodacom3g , can you get a approx date for the release of the Nokia 3G phone?
I will never go for Motorola!
VQuest
02-02-2005, 12:08 PM
Agreed PCW, I won't go Motorola either. Whether I get 3G all depends on the availability of the Nokia phone within the next month or so. I really need a phone upgrade quite badly, so I'm not sure if I'm prepared to wait that long. Actually, if I was told the phone would definitely be available in 2 months I would wait. But I don't want to sit here not knowing how long I have to wait. I might as well just upgrade my phone and forget about 3G for the next 2 years.
VQuest
02-02-2005, 12:13 PM
Mad: the worst thing about Vodacom is the fact that they are 50% Telkom. Besides that, I've been with them for 8 years and I've been very satisfied with my service. I would still rather stick with them than go to MTN. I was with MTN for 2 years. Those two years were disasterous from the very second I signed up to the very moment I cancelled. I will never go with them again. Not sure about CellC, as I don't have any experience with them. But I think it's the case of "better the devil you know than the devil you don't know". Unless Cell C brings out a product which is simply too good to turn down, I'll be staying with Vodacom.
bb_matt
02-02-2005, 01:32 PM
All comments, ideas and suggestions on the new packages have been sent to the relevant people. Thanks for these.
Even mine ? :D
damn.. was excited about the new gprs tarrifs, so hooked up my phone last night and its so much slower than my mtn gprs. gosh now i see why mtn still are charging 50 bucks a meg.... its quality
I've found varying speeds on Vodacom GPRS too. Last Saturday afternoon I downloaded a file from the local tucows server http://tucows.saix.net and got about 4.5 kByte per second. Then on Monday evening around 22h30 I downloaded the same file from a different location but the same town, Stellenbosch, at 6kByte per second. The signal strength at the first location was weak and at the 2nd location strong.
From what I can gather, the speed is affected by a few factors:
from
http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/handphones/0,39001718,10000605p,00.htm
Even then, other key factors
such as the number of people using data connections in the same cell (number
of time slots available), signal strength and reception will also
significantly affect data transmission speeds.
Maybe some towers are using faster GPRS modulation schemes than others.
Decotey
02-02-2005, 11:16 PM
All comments, ideas and suggestions on the new packages have been sent to the relevant people. Thanks for these.
How about R250 p/m for 10gb no local cap :D
Ok everyone can dream once in a while...
Canon
02-02-2005, 11:29 PM
How about R250 p/m for 10gb no local cap :D
Ok everyone can dream once in a while...
That's about what I pay / get with 128Kb ISDN and call-more.
No local or international capping, no shaping that I can detect, full 128Kb/s (up and down) all the time.
Obvioulsy only 7pm-7am every day and all weekend long.
3G for daytime work and mobility, ISDN for serious downloads after hours.
Works for me!
alchamy
03-02-2005, 07:13 AM
damn.. was excited about the new gprs tarrifs, so hooked up my phone last night and its so much slower than my mtn gprs. gosh now i see why mtn still are charging 50 bucks a meg.... its quality
When I did testing on GPRS solutions for EFTPOS I found that MTN transfer rates are indeed faster, on average about 5.1k, however vodacom is not that far behind maintaining an average of 4.3k.
Now, are you seriously trying to tell me that you will pay 24.5x (R47) more per meg for 0.8k? :confused:
Unless ofcourse you are experiencing some other problem and getting lower speeds.
Though I think 3G1 is expensive, doing some maths will tell you that for the same price you will get 14megs on MTN. Which makes Vodacom VERY VERY competitive for cellular data solutions. Broadband on the other hand. well... :rolleyes:
diabolus
04-02-2005, 12:25 AM
When I did testing on GPRS solutions for EFTPOS I found that MTN transfer rates are indeed faster, on average about 5.1k, however vodacom is not that far behind maintaining an average of 4.3k.
Now, are you seriously trying to tell me that you will pay 24.5x (R47) more per meg for 0.8k?
Unless ofcourse you are experiencing some other problem and getting lower speeds.
Though I think 3G1 is expensive, doing some maths will tell you that for the same price you will get 14megs on MTN. Which makes Vodacom VERY VERY competitive for cellular data solutions. Broadband on the other hand. well...
Indeed. I easily seem to get avg of 6 kBps GPRS on Vodacom, so i assume it's a location thing , but that's besides the point. My co-worker [an MTN contract subscriber] is already heading out to get a Vodacom prepaid package [and yes he's pretty pissed that MTN is so uncompetitive regarding this] It's actually shocking that MTN is lagging behind THAT badly , i mean i thought GPRS/EDGE would be MTNs claim to fame while Vodacome goes for 3G...guess not.
Imagine what'll happen if there actually did apear pre-paid GPRS packages where you can get a 60c per/mb ratio [i.e. buying a R600 'data voucher']....