3G data tariffs - feedback from Vodacom

Out of bundle price for prepaid will be R2/Mb.

Pre-paid data bundles are being put together and will be available shortly.

You can use a datacard with the smaller bundles (<1Gb) but must purchase the card separately. As retail prices will vary, shop around.
 
vodacom3g

I have an existing contract with a dual sim.

When will I be able to add a 3G bundle to the existing contract and use my dual sim in a data card?

One last question......you say we should shop around for prices on data cards. Can you give us an indication as to who you will be supplying?

Thanks in advance.
 
Big cheese,

The short answer is: you can already add any data bundle to any existing contract. And if you have a twin-SIM, both will work and add to the data count BUT only one SIM can be active at any given point in time.

So, I'm not to sure if this will work for you, while the twin-SIM in the card is active all your calls and SMS's will be diverted to the data card! And there's no way to answer them on your laptop.

Another point to consider: If you add a bundle to your existing contract the data card is not subsidised, thus you have to buy it.

Not to sure what your application is, maybe you can elaborate?, but for most people a dedicated (subsidised) data card works better.

Data cards can be obtained from any Vodacom reseller such as VSP or the other SP's.

Hope this helps.
 
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bb_matt,

As you know market dynamics dictate a constant relook at service offerings and pricing structures. Any company focused on survival understands this.

Vodacom has already shown it is not afraid to lead in aggressively driving the market with products such as Video Calls for the same price as a normal call (a world first, btw.) or launching 3G when the nay-sayers said it's premature.

In the same vein, the new pricing structures for data that starts on the 1st of February is once again driving the market towards more cost effective solutions.

So to answer your question, Vodacom has already shown it's commitment to not just normalising pricing in the local market but to aggressively drive it down where-ever possible. This trend will continue.

I hope this answers your question and that it was read correctly.

Let the "It's still too expensive!" barrage begin :)
 
So to answer your question, Vodacom has already shown it's commitment to not just normalising pricing in the local market but to aggressively drive it down where-ever possible. This trend will continue.

I hope this answers your question and that it was read correctly.

Let the "It's still too expensive!" barrage begin
Click to expand...

Well, of course, no barrage will happen because we all KNOW that the cost is too high - the current story of Telecomms in our country.

We also know that Vodacom3g has NO idea of the reality of internet access in this country, as surely Vodacom3g, you have unliimited access regardlesss ? Yes ?
 
vodacom3g said:
Vodacom has already shown it is not afraid to lead in aggressively driving the market with products such as Video Calls for the same price as a normal call (a world first, btw.) or launching 3G when the nay-sayers said it's premature.
Click to expand...


See now this bothers me, will video calls also use up data? Knowing Vodacom yes, eg MMS. you guys bill a arm & a leg for them when all I do is send them via the standard GPRS settings and it costs me a fraction of the price. Vodacom blocks sms over GPRS to. :mad:

If video calls use data they should be free, if not then how much profit are you making off voice calls?
 
alchamy

No, video calls WON'T use up data.

Video calls are circuit switched, just like voice, and not packet switched like GPRS/3G data. This ensures better QoS for the video call. As you know, the store and forward nature of packet switching will make for a jerky video call.

3G handsets do not support video over data, only circuit switched video. Even if you could run a video-call application on your data card, it would still be CS.

Thus a video call is not part of your data bundle, just like a voice call is not part of it.

SMS over GPRS is not available currently. This is a product under investigation but due to limited handset support is looked at carefully.
 
vodacom3g said:
alchamy

No, video calls WON'T use up data.

Video calls are circuit switched, just like voice, and not packet switched like GPRS/3G data. This ensures better QoS for the video call. As you know, the store and forward nature of packet switching will make for a jerky video call.

3G handsets do not support video over data, only circuit switched video. Even if you could run a video-call application on your data card, it would still be CS.

Thus a video call is not part of your data bundle, just like a voice call is not part of it.

SMS over GPRS is not available currently. This is a product under investigation but due to limited handset support is looked at carefully.
Click to expand...


*learns*, fair enough. Still convinced that the only reason video calls cost the same is due to excesive voice call rates, but I will keep quiet and enjoy the video calls. :D
 
Initially I thought Vodacom just wanted to make use of MyADSL as a cheap marketing tool. Uhm, I think I am wrong! Based on the committed, continuous feedback from vodacom3g, I have learnt a lot.
Wow, I must complement you for sticking it out so far. It definitely made me pay attention. Any company that can take criticism in a public forum and stay professional and stick around to answer questions and address concerns, gets a nod from me.
Sure, I also feel calls are still overpriced, but I am sure with a more competitive market ahead this will be driven down.
I just hope 3G does not just stay in the metropolitan areas but will eventually (2-3 years?) cover the same area that GSM currently covers.
 
Word of warning - regarding bundles. I've had several UK based users travel to Europe and we found out the hard that roaming outside the UK does not eat into a users 75MB bundle per month. Roaming in France, Spain, Belgium and Germay (Vodafone HQ!!!!) cost £5/MB (around R55/MB!!!!!!)
 
This is true of SA as well. Your Vodacom bundle or contract applies to data used INSIDE South Africa. As soon as you travel, you'll pay the roaming rates which is a function of the country where you are roaming.

Without starting a flame war on pricing, Vodacom, currently, has the cheapest 3G data rates in the world, so all roaming will cost more than what you're used to.

For example, both Vodafone and Orange UK is 66% more expensive (than Vodacom) on their 1G bundle and a whopping 229% more on out of bundle for the 1G package.

Most expensive rate I've see is Vodafone Netherlands @ ~R100/MB. Compare that to R2/MB in SA.
 
Vodafone's (German language site) Zuhause web service is giving "limited download" over its German 3G network to subscribers - five Gig of data a month - for twenty Euros a month.
 
Mux said:
Sure, I also feel calls are still overpriced, but I am sure with a more competitive market ahead this will be driven down.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately the competition in the form of MTN are busy self destructing. It seems that some genius there decided to simplify their pricing by not allowing the purchase of more than one bundle. Their original pricing made them cheaper than Vodacom across the board. The change makes them more expensive except for two small nodes around 100Mb and 1000Mb. They now go into their launch on Monday being not only slower, but also more expensive. Go and check out their thread on this forum.

What a pity. Some decent competition would have helped to keep Vodacom on their toes and maintain pressure for price reductions.
 
RayBar said:
What a pity. Some decent competition would have helped to keep Vodacom on their toes and maintain pressure for price reductions.
Click to expand...

It seems to be the story of South Africa at the moment - yes, the rest of the world has been through this too for the most part, but we seem to be struggling to get out the other side.

A few big players almost "in cahoots" with each other regarding pricing and nobody willing to budge to far from the beaten track.

I think once Telkom finally slow down their "Gravy Rocket" and start playing for the home team - namely South Africa - we may see a change in this.

Still, I'm dissapointed in both Vodacom and MTN's lack of competition.

Then again, I guess they have their own gravy rockets to fly - the investors come first, the public come last !

What a crying shame !

As a final note in this sad tale, it's being mirrored in all aspects of South African life - Food, Fuel, Cars, Banks - you name it - a few big players pandering to the investors and ripping the public off big time.

Capitalism gone mad.
 
Yes it does currently. Provided that you have free minutes. If not then you will be charged the applicable tarrif
 
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