DataSIM: one voice contract and Data SIM Cards that share a Contract Data Bundle

[BBSA]

Nice to see they have sorted out LouisVanAlphen, now can they please arrange for data sims to work on Top-up contracts

[LouisVanAlphen]

Nice to see they have sorted out LouisVanAlphen, now can they please arrange for data sims to work on Top-up contracts

BBSA, I can assure you that doing this for Topup is way more complex than for contract. Even though Topup looks like a contract offer, the billing and session control is done in a realtime fashion on the prepaid platform. So in reality Topup is really more like prepaid from a network perspective.

The prepaid billing is done on a basis of quota reservations that happen in the background while you are on a call. The quota reservation is done in advance for the period it represents. Let's say your call is set up (initiated). There is a quota reservation of let's say 10 seconds (not sure what the real quota is). This means that 10 seconds' worth of money is deducted from your prepaid account. The network will now allow you 10secs worth of talking. Just before the 10 seconds have elapsed, another quota is reserved. This happens continuously while you are on the call until you terminate the call or you run out of money.

The same happens for data. However, if you have multiple sessions (consumers of the data bundle) it gets way more complicated. Each session continually reserves quotas to allow you to use a block of data. Now, when you run out of money, the session for which the quota reservation failed, will terminate. But the fact is that the other session still has some quota and may even not be using it. The effect is that you still have some quota available in the 2nd session, but the 1st one terminated due to insufficient data bundle. This is the kind of customer experience you want to avoid.

The above is a very simplified view of how (I think) it works, just to illustrate the complexity in the prepaid environment.

Contract (post-paid) billing is easy. The (data) usage events come from the network into the billing system. Regardless of which of your SIMs originated the event, the cost is accrued to the associated account and the usage deducted from any data bundle you may have. Because a contract subscriber pays for it after use, there is no need for complex in-session control, quota reservations, etc, etc.

[Ockie]

BBSA, I can assure you that doing this for Topup is way more complex than for contract. Even though Topup looks like a contract offer, the billing and session control is done in a realtime fashion on the prepaid platform. So in reality Topup is really more like prepaid from a network perspective.

The prepaid billing is done on a basis of quota reservations that happen in the background while you are on a call. The quota reservation is done in advance for the period it represents. Let's say your call is set up (initiated). There is a quota reservation of let's say 10 seconds (not sure what the real quota is). This means that 10 seconds' worth of money is deducted from your prepaid account. The network will now allow you 10secs worth of talking. Just before the 10 seconds have elapsed, another quota is reserved. This happens continuously while you are on the call until you terminate the call or you run out of money.

The same happens for data. However, if you have multiple sessions (consumers of the data bundle) it gets way more complicated. Each session continually reserves quotas to allow you to use a block of data. Now, when you run out of money, the session for which the quota reservation failed, will terminate. But the fact is that the other session still has some quota and may even not be using it. The effect is that you still have some quota available in the 2nd session, but the 1st one terminated due to insufficient data bundle. This is the kind of customer experience you want to avoid.

The above is a very simplified view of how (I think) it works, just to illustrate the complexity in the prepaid environment.

Contract (post-paid) billing is easy. The (data) usage events come from the network into the billing system. Regardless of which of your SIMs originated the event, the cost is accrued to the associated account and the usage deducted from any data bundle you may have. Because a contract subscriber pays for it after use, there is no need for complex in-session control, quota reservations, etc, etc.

/goes cross eyed
/vals vlou from info overload

hits blue screen

OC is dead

[LouisVanAlphen]

<Laugh> Hmm well yes maybe my explanation is too complex... but then it is quite a complex problem. Just wanted to illustrate to BBSA that a DataSIM on Topup is not the same as on contract and is actually fairly difficult depending on what platforms you use. The latest policy and billing management platforms can do this.

[AirWolf]

So even though I'm using a Blackberry on a top up contract with BIS enable, I still can't get a data-sim. In theory only one device would be using the "normal" data bundle (and yes I know that some applications and sites do not use BIS eg. Youtube).

[BBSA]

Thanks for the explanation Louis. So I can assume this is not going to happen in my life time. I think I'm just going to get a Cell C sim for my modem. It is going to cost me R999 but atleast I will have a solution.

[LouisVanAlphen]

Thanks for the explanation Louis. So I can assume this is not going to happen in my life time. I think I'm just going to get a Cell C sim for my modem. It is going to cost me R999 but atleast I will have a solution.

Yes not sure when/if it wil happen. Good luck

[AirWolf]

Top Up always gets the short end of the stick even though it was introduced as having the advantages of both prepaid and contract (but they forgot to mention that you get saddled with the disadvantages as well).

[thedoc!]

Hi All

I have a vodacom iPhone contract, + I buy a data bundle every month, I want to know if I can share this bundle between my iPhone and iPad - i.e. buy another sim card from VC and simultaneously access the data.

I have a twin sim option at the moment, the problem with this is, one device must be off for the other to work.

I dont want voice on the iPad - just data..

[morkhans]

You want DataSIM not twin sim. You can now have up to 5 SIMs on one contract since the most recent changes.

[WoW]

I have a data bundle (2+2gb) for my iPad which is working great. Now I wish to use the same account/sim data bundle on my wifi 3G router. My initial thoughts are that I would have 2 sim cards liked to one account. This would allow for my iPad to work as is with existing micosim and the router to use a replicated standard sim off the same data bundle. Naturally only one of the sims can be on at a time, just like with a car phone setup.

Vodacom has informed me this is not possible due to this function not being available yet for data. Now this is interesting as it works perfect with my handset and car phone for voice.

So my question to the forum is can this be done, can I get the micro sim duplicated somewhere and where if possible?

[3p1c]

They should be able to issue you with a new sim on the same account and allocate the data to that. I'm fairly positive on this... could be wrong.

[VodacomData]

I have a data bundle (2+2gb) for my iPad which is working great. Now I wish to use the same account/sim data bundle on my wifi 3G router. My initial thoughts are that I would have 2 sim cards liked to one account. This would allow for my iPad to work as is with existing micosim and the router to use a replicated standard sim off the same data bundle. Naturally only one of the sims can be on at a time, just like with a car phone setup.

Vodacom has informed me this is not possible due to this function not being available yet for data. Now this is interesting as it works perfect with my handset and car phone for voice.

So my question to the forum is can this be done, can I get the micro sim duplicated somewhere and where if possible?

Hi , can you provide your 3G number , i would like to see what package you are on?

[jannievanzyl]

Hi , can you provide your 3G number , i would like to see what package you are on?

Looks like the 2+2 promo. DataSIM is available AFAIK?

Sounds like they got confused with Twin-SIM which probably is not available on the 2+2?

[morkhans]

Looks like the 2+2 promo. DataSIM is available AFAIK?

Sounds like they got confused with Twin-SIM which probably is not available on the 2+2?

oc confirmed that it is, but some shops still don't know what DataSIM is and others are unaware of the recent changes to the product.