International Data Tariffs

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vodacom3g

Vodacom Representative
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Attached, a comparison of data tariffs around the world. There's been quite a few requests for this type of info, mostly from the threads discussing the perceived high cost of MOBILE BROADBAND in South Africa.

Please note, these are the in-country rates, i.e. what you would pay if you took out a contract in the country itself and does not include SA roaming rates.

This was done in March, so might have changed by now.
 
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Wow.. i knew our rates were a lot cheaper but damn.. thats a big difference between other countries
 
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Anyone know if you can rent the datacard, or get it cheaper?

Where do you buy datacards, from anyone other than Vodacom?

Know of any companies that rent them out?
 
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(Slightly off-topic) Orange in UK has unlimited GPRS (not 3G) use for 1 day for 1 pound, contract or pre-paid.
 
SA must be the only country in the world where mobile solutions are seen as more cost effective (for those that need a couple of hundred megs a month) than fixed line.
 
sun said:
(Slightly off-topic) Orange in UK has unlimited GPRS (not 3G) use for 1 day for 1 pound, contract or pre-paid.
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Yes, but the "uncapped" options don't for instance allow streaming video/radio, something I like doing :)
 
Problem with this comparison is that you can not ignore ADSL/Fixed Line Internet prices with this.

You must first consider the fact that if you have 15GB ADSL for 20 EUR month then you will never consider a wireless alternative where you pay R2 p/MB ...from that perspective even SA's "low" prices are expensive. So 3G/GPRS as far as i can tell is a NICHE overseas, people don't need it and they won't buy it [yet] they have much cheaper alternatives.

Thanks to Telkom , a Niche product became commodity and that's why it can be sold so much cheaper here. If ADSL was R200 p/m [including ISP+line rental] for 15GB ..then R500 for 1GB suddenly doesn't sound very nice does it?
 
IMO one of the reasons that 3G is more expensive throughout Europe, when compared to SA, is the huge licence fees paid - that cost is being recovered from European customers.
 
Yea, was thinking the same thing now. They auctioned thows licenses off too the highest bidder and now they need too recoupe billions in licensing fees.
 
"Low" cost of mobile broadband in SA

diabolus said:
Problem with this comparison is that you can not ignore ADSL/Fixed Line Internet prices with this.

You must first consider the fact that if you have 15GB ADSL for 20 EUR month then you will never consider a wireless alternative where you pay R2 p/MB ...from that perspective even SA's "low" prices are expensive. So 3G/GPRS as far as i can tell is a NICHE overseas, people don't need it and they won't buy it [yet] they have much cheaper alternatives.

Thanks to Telkom , a Niche product became commodity and that's why it can be sold so much cheaper here. If ADSL was R200 p/m [including ISP+line rental] for 15GB ..then R500 for 1GB suddenly doesn't sound very nice does it?
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Ditto...Couldn't have said it better myself...
 
New Zealand offers a realistic comparison.

Vodaphone in NZ offers: 1GB/month on contract at NZ$ 49/ month. Or no contract at NZ$59/ month. The interesting thing is if you go over your 1GB you can purchase a second GB for NZ$10. So in effect you can get 2 GB for NZ$59, which is about R300.

This does not include the modem, but if you sign a 24 month contract you get the modem for NZ$99.

So we appear to be about 25% more expensive than in NZ. I am sure the difference that vodacom will pay for the international connectivity accounts for most of this price difference.
 
just a quick update...

to give you an idea where everyone else is going to:

3G (no hsdpa) flatrate with e-plus (base): 25 € (= 260 rands) / month
hsdpa flatrate from moobicent (in the well-performing vodafone network): 40 euro (420 Rands) / month
5 GB fairflat packages for all the other mobile networks, hsdpa where available: between 25-35 euro (370 Rands) / month.

For landline based telephony the cheapest offers are now at 35 Euro (370 Rands) pm for 2 or 6 mbit adsl flatrate including unlimited landline phonecalls.

hello telkom, hello vodacom. please wake up.

though I have to say that vodacom is definitely one of the best cell networks I've experienced in my life and the new data tariffs are better than what I expected before coming here...
 
Syndyre said:
Do those flat rate packages exclude streaming video, P2P etc?
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not at all. there are only a very few DSL companies left that limit (cap) ports that are primarily used by filesharing protocols. I can only name tiscali (minor player in Germany) out of my memory.
 
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