What bandwidth is NOT free on Blackberry internet?

[ratinakage]

Hi all,

I just got my blackberry 9700 on Vodacom yesterday. I am wondering with regards the Internet, what's free and what you get charged for.

I was surfing Youtube yesterday testing whether I could watch a video. The phone asked me "do you want to switch to WAP" or something like that.... Does WAP imply that I will be charged?

Also, I want to use Opera Mini. I've heard that its better than the build-in browser. I told the guy in the shop and he said he thought that I should rather stay on the default browser because he recons that other browsers are not free to use. Only the default one. Can that be true??

What about apps that use the Internet? Are they free to use?

Thanks!!

[Budza]

I'm also keen for an answer here. Friends have been getting BBs for a while, and I reckon the deal's just not that great. My understanding is that one can browse free. Streaming/dowloading etc is charged for. Not sure about VOIP.

I use my 5800 with a data bundle (300MB for R89). The BB BIS is supposedly ~R70. How many Megs is it possible to use while on the service? You cannot plug phone into a computer, which I can. I can watch youtube and even run torrents on my phone (end of month ). Skype via Fring works well with 3G coverage but struggles a bit if EDGE only.

I'm not convinced that you can use up enough data to justify the cost- Opera Mini with it's version of data compression is quick and efficient- it must use the same if not less data per page rendered. When all you can do is browse (on a 600x400 or something) screen, you use next to no bandwidth.

My thinking is- a normal contract with a decent 3G phone and a data bundle will provide you with more options and better speeds. Email (gmail) is easily added to most phones. Exchange sync can be found if you buy the right handset.

Why do people fall over themselves for the Black Berry??

[Kosmik]

Hmmm, I'm sure I saw a sticky round somewhere that dealt with that.

You have multiple connections for a device, BIS ( Internet ) , Hotspot ( Wifi ) and Wap ( MTN/VODACOM ). If business you also have BES ( Blackbery Browser ).

If you set your default to BIS, your internet will go through the blackberry server and is part of your BIS/BES fee. If your default is wap, it will go through your SP and be billed @ R2 a meg.

Basicly any streamed data ( voice , video , audio ) is wap billed. Normal browsing, email , attachments to a certain size ( 15Megs I think ) and small downloads ( also about 5Megs or something) can all go through BIS.

I'm also keen for an answer here. Friends have been getting BBs for a while, and I reckon the deal's just not that great. My understanding is that one can browse free. Streaming/dowloading etc is charged for. Not sure about VOIP.

I use my 5800 with a data bundle (300MB for R89). The BB BIS is supposedly ~R70. How many Megs is it possible to use while on the service? You cannot plug phone into a computer, which I can. I can watch youtube and even run torrents on my phone (end of month ). Skype via Fring works well with 3G coverage but struggles a bit if EDGE only.

I'm not convinced that you can use up enough data to justify the cost- Opera Mini with it's version of data compression is quick and efficient- it must use the same if not less data per page rendered. When all you can do is browse (on a 600x400 or something) screen, you use next to no bandwidth.

My thinking is- a normal contract with a decent 3G phone and a data bundle will provide you with more options and better speeds. Email (gmail) is easily added to most phones. Exchange sync can be found if you buy the right handset.

Why do people fall over themselves for the Black Berry??

You can do all the same through a BB. You just have the extra option of going through the BIS network. BIS cost anything from R30-R100 depending on SP. @ R2 a meg thats only 45Mbs. @ 50c a meg standard bundle, thats 200Mb.

[bwana]

Careful what type of steering wheel you buy, the cheaper ones don't emulate acceleration/braking very well, they mimic pushing forward and backwards on a joystick, you can see that when you are in the Joystick configuration section of Control Panel.

Hmmm - I didnt realise you could get a joystick for the Blackberry.

[Fudzy]

Doh! Wrong thread

[Sensorei]

Yip, on BIS you are only billed for streaming video but you can watch youtube/metacafe on vuclip for free.

Before MTN went back to half dial up speed on BIS I would use up 2-3GB a month. Then with the mass BB migration thanks to the cheap 8520 BIS became almost useless. Last month I used only 224MB purely because its so damn slow. A year ago over 100KB/s download speed was normal on my Bold in the evenings. I used to be able to watch new topgear episodes through vuclip without constant buffering. That was cool.

[Fudzy]

Back onto the OT though, things like Twitter, Facebook, OperaMini browsing, GTalk, GMaps etc are all covered under the R7 a day 'unlimited blackberry internet' right?

[bwana]

Yip, on BIS you are only billed for streaming video but you can watch youtube/metacafe on vuclip for free.

Before MTN went back to half dial up speed on BIS I would use up 2-3GB a month. Then with the mass BB migration thanks to the cheap 8520 BIS became almost useless. Last month I used only 224MB purely because its so damn slow. A year ago over 100KB/s download speed was normal on my Bold in the evenings. I used to be able to watch new topgear episodes through vuclip without constant buffering. That was cool.

I dont know how safe it is to assume that MTN and Vodacom have identical pricing structures.

I did ask the vodacom rep for a definitive answer a while back on exactly what was covered by inclusive. Let me see if I can find it.

EDIT - Found it.

Facebook is a blackberry app on your device.
If you check your settings , you will see an option to add BB calendar BB contacts e.t.c.Apps basically not approved by BB are charged.

And if your missus is using the BB browser for FB she wont be charged

Regards
VodacomData

I've installed Weather Bug on my phone that receives hourly updates. Had it on for years now and have yet to be charged for extra data. Same goes for my twitter clients, opera, and all the google apps - no charges to date.

As far as I was aware if it went via the blackberry apn it is inclusive - is this or is this not the case? I'm sure we would all appreciate a definitive answer.

Fortunately, I did not hold my breath.

[bwana]

Back onto the OT though, things like Twitter, Facebook, OperaMini browsing, GTalk, GMaps etc are all covered under the R7 a day 'unlimited blackberry internet' right?

Wasnt that R7 a telkom off peak callmore thing?

[Sensorei]

Bolt browser is also free to use and you can download through it as well.

If you are using a 3G enables blackberry, as long as the BB symbol appears next to the 3G icon then you are not being charged.

[Kosmik]

Bolt browser is also free to use and you can download through it as well.

If you are using a 3G enables blackberry, as long as the BB symbol appears next to the 3G icon then you are not being charged.

Still depends on content. Even if you have the symbol and you use youtube, you will be charged WAP rates.

[Sensorei]

Wrong. The BB symbol indicates browsing through BIS. If you go to youtube.com and start streaming a video the BB symbol disappears because it switches APN. Also not all streaming audio/video is billed as some goes through BIS. Like vuclip videos (youtube) which are encoded on the vuclip server. There are a few apps that use streaming audio through BIS like viigo and mobiola's (pay app) streaming radio.

[christabotha]

Firstly it’s important to distinguish between Streaming (Video or Audio) & Browsing. Streaming (Video or Audio) does not constitute Browsing.

You will be billed for data under the following conditions:
If the Carrier WAP Browser on the device is used in this case Vodafone Live! Browser, to access web/WAP sites outside of the Vodafone Live! portal, or when streaming any media (audio or video) to your device. This usage is billed at your prevailing data tariff. If you do not have a data bundle on your account, a rate of R2,00 per Megabyte applies.

The free on-device browsing via the BlackBerry Internet Service browser, is when sites are accessed via the BIS browser of the device. The BIS browser has its own icon and under the browser settings can be identified by its profile name ‘Internet’.

The Internet browser does not allow for content to be streamed. This may be audio or video media or a combination their off. When attempting to access streaming content, the Internet browser will automatically switch to the WAP browser. The device will prompt you with the following message depending on your device configuration: ‘Switch to WAP for streaming media?’ Streaming content via the WAP browser will be billed according to your prevailing data tariff.

You are also able to use your device as a modem connected to a PC via the BlackBerry Desktop Manager, This usage is also billed at your prevailing data tariff. If you do not have a data bundle on your account, a rate of R2,00 per Megabyte applies.

The general rule for applications is that any RIM built application, will make use of the BlackBerry infrastructure and therefore will have no data charges applied. These include, but are not limited to BBM, App world, Facebook, MSN, Windows Live Messenger.

Any app that data is routed via the Network Operators internet APN, then you will be billed at your applicable data tariff.

Hi all,

I just got my blackberry 9700 on Vodacom yesterday. I am wondering with regards the Internet, what's free and what you get charged for.

I was surfing Youtube yesterday testing whether I could watch a video. The phone asked me "do you want to switch to WAP" or something like that.... Does WAP imply that I will be charged?

Also, I want to use Opera Mini. I've heard that its better than the build-in browser. I told the guy in the shop and he said he thought that I should rather stay on the default browser because he recons that other browsers are not free to use. Only the default one. Can that be true??

What about apps that use the Internet? Are they free to use?

Thanks!!

[Guantanamo]

Whats the story with downloads. Someone in the thread said all downloads below 5mb or something were free? true...false? Can we get a Vodacom rep here?

[varons]

Hi Guys, there is a blackberry app that allows you to stream youtube via your BIS, its called UTube, google "allmobile herobo" and you will get the website as i dont think we are allowed to post links.

Regards
V