7.2 Mbps HSDPA with bandwidth rollover

MielieSpoor said:
I have read through a few of the posts in this thread and there is one thing that I really don't understand.

MTN offered a product with more or less the same but they were flamed for it. Now, Vodacom offers the same and it gets welcomed???

Somethings I'll just never understand!
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marine1 said:
;)
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Yeah, that is so messed up:sick:.
 
Good step foward! Thou my point is why are the basic db prices so high!?

*network 1 (MTN)

10MB (@R10) x 2 = R 20.00 (In-bundle MB rate R1.00)

*network 2 (VodaCom)

20mb (@R 28.00 ) = R 28.00 (In-bundle MB rate R1.40) :confused:


P.S Good business move with the advance packagers (HSDPA 7.2):rolleyes: ALL COSTS IN THE PRICE!

Thou to the average joe its going take a while to understand! Just hope the prices drop soon!
 
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MielieSpoor said:
I have read through a few of the posts in this thread and there is one thing that I really don't understand.

MTN offered a product with more or less the same but they were flamed for it. Now, Vodacom offers the same and it gets welcomed???

Somethings I'll just never understand!
Click to expand...

Not too sure about the 'welcomed' bit. :) I had to do a lot of explaining. :)

Off the top of my head if I recall the MTN announcement.

1) The ability to buy multiple bundles per month.
2) The addition of top-up capability.
3) Added a 3GB bundle
4) Roll over of up to 60 days.

No's 1, 2 and 3, Vodacom always had.

Vodacom's announcement basically include:

1) Dropping of the R49 3.6 VAS fee.
2) Making 3.6 available to all subscribers across all towers.
3) Adding a 20G bundle.
4) Roll over of up to 60 days.

In addition and in response to requests from subscribers:

5) An additional, new flat-rate structure.
6) 7.2 across all towers for subs on the flat-rate tariff.
 
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I am still trying to get this.

If you are a 1GB user and typically go 150Meg out of bundle, this Advanced Broadband is supposed to start making sense but it only really starts making sense when someone goes more then 123% out of bundle. Bascially it's cheaper for a 1GB user to pay for standard 2GB and then not to worry about going out of bundle because they have the extra 1GB cushion. The standard 2GB costs the same as the advanced 1GB.

Basically, when someone uses around 1233Meg out of bundle on a 1GB advanced it works out the same as a 2GB standard with 233Meg out of bundle.
 
Abe said:
I thought the MTN deal was 60 days on prepaid, not "up to 60 days"?
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I'm wondering also. So on Vodacom Prepaid the bundle expires on the last day of the month. So if you buy on say the 20th, you have 10 days and one month to use it. But on MTN Prepaid the bundle expires exactly 60 days after you buy it. So if with MTN prepaid you buy a bundle on the 20th it expires on the 20th two months later?
 
Sselmrah said:
I'm wondering also. So on Vodacom Prepaid the bundle expires on the last day of the month. So if you buy on say the 20th, you have 10 days and one month to use it. But on MTN Prepaid the bundle expires exactly 60 days after you buy it. So if with MTN prepaid you buy a bundle on the 20th it expires on the 20th two months later?
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I just had a look at their terms and conditions and they say "up to 60 days" as well.
 
Abe said:
I am still trying to get this.

If you are a 1GB user and typically go 150Meg out of bundle, this Advanced Broadband is supposed to start making sense but it only really starts making sense when someone goes more then 123% out of bundle. Bascially it's cheaper for a 1GB user to pay for standard 2GB and then not to worry about going out of bundle because they have the extra 1GB cushion. The standard 2GB costs the same as the advanced 1GB.

Basically, when someone uses around 1233Meg out of bundle on a 1GB advanced it works out the same as a 2GB standard with 233Meg out of bundle.
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If you've got an amount to spend and you're not going to go OOB, buy the best deal on BB-S with your money.
 
vodacom3g said:
If you've got an amount to spend and you're not going to go OOB, buy the best deal on BB-S with your money.
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But even if you are going out of bundle then the 2GB standard is still better then the 1GB advanced as is the 3GB standard as opposed to the 2GB advanced.
 
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I repeat what I said earlier in this thread: Vodacom's data offerings are unnecessarily complicated. There is no way the average user is going to be able to make head or tail of this. SA operators really need to simplify their data offerings. I write about this industry, and my head hurts just trying to figure out what package I should go for. I feel sorry for the Average Joe trying to make sense of this mess.

Sorry, Vodacom. This is just not good enough.
 
This is an ill-conceived offering, even by VC standards. Recognise all the shortfalls and complaints generated by your existing product. Address these complaints by creating an "advanced" product and charging double for it. The act of which will simply introduce a whole new host of complaints. Way to go.

So far the combatants in this supposed broadband price war have been running around in circles, shooting themselves in the proverbial foot.
 
vodacom3g said:
Most likely, that's the unfortunate thing when you have thousands and thousands of lines on back order and the main reason we delayed turning 7.2 on for so long. And even, to a degree, why we had the VAS service on 3.6.

Best is to test by running the speed test on http://speed.vodacom.co.za (not everyone together now!).

One thing we've found is that it's pretty difficult to measure above about 3Mb/s using the commonly available speed tests. They tend to run out of steam measuring the higher speeds.

Best way I've found is to use a meter like DUMeter and then download as much stuff as possible concurrently.
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ive tried many times over the last couple of day using firefox and IE but cant open the speed.vodacom site. it just 'waiting' but never opens
 
Vodacom3G, I do apologise if this question was asked before. But if you can't offer a stable connection currently to me or anybody in my area what is the point by upgrading to 7.2 what what. Surely some form fixing of the foundations\basic first should be in order.
 
Grubscrew said:
Vodacom3G, I do apologise if this question was asked before. But if you can't offer a stable connection currently to me or anybody in my area what is the point by upgrading to 7.2 what what. Surely some form fixing of the foundations\basic first should be in order.
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Got no idea where you area is.....
 
Jinx10 said:
ive tried many times over the last couple of day using firefox and IE but cant open the speed.vodacom site. it just 'waiting' but never opens
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Please post your issue in the correct thread here;).

Grubscrew said:
Vodacom3G, I do apologise if this question was asked before. But if you can't offer a stable connection currently to me or anybody in my area what is the point by upgrading to 7.2 what what. Surely some form fixing of the foundations\basic first should be in order.
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Please update your location field in your profile.
 
:mad:Vodacom, thank you for the rollover. But that is where it stops!I was hoping you would look after the average to small data users.
Instead you only seem to care about the users who exceed their data package on a regular basis.
If you did your sums properly I am sure you would find that the smaller users make up the majority of the total data consumed.
Currently I have an account (contract) with you and one with Telkom.
Your Rate: 34.9c/mb OOB R1.50?
Telkom rate: 24.9c/mb OOB R0.30
Both are based on 1 gb
Speed VC: 3.6mb/s - On a good day 2.2mb/s (DL)
Telkom: 7.2mb/s - On a good day 4.6mb/s (DL)
And thats Telkom's opening shot.
I think your new offer is all "Smoke and Mirrors" entirely aimed at appeasing a minority of users, and st**f the rest!
BTW: I have a new Novatel MC950D modem, so what must I do with another one. There is no such thing as a free modem! It has been calculated into the price!
You leave your previously loyal customers no option but to look elsewhere.

PS: this message was posted using Telkom's 3G service, because it's cheaper!
 
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ic said:
Yep, I specifically supported the VAS charge for 3.6 bcos it helps keep bandwidth hogs away and therefore protects Vodacom's network where backhaul bandwidth is insufficient.
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Bandwidth hogs?
At the pricing we've had and have? :D
I don't think so. :p

MielieSpoor said:
I have read through a few of the posts in this thread and there is one thing that I really don't understand.

MTN offered a product with more or less the same but they were flamed for it. Now, Vodacom offers the same and it gets welcomed???

Somethings I'll just never understand!
Click to expand...

Don't know which thread you've been reading - I've not come across too many welcoming posts ;)

vodacom3g said:
With BB-A we're starting to get data in line with voice products.

So with BB-A on contract, there is a certain amount of money to fund a device, just like on voice. So you'll pay the BB-A rates and the 'CIB' (the money available for a device) will fund the device, either fully or with some pay-in, depending on the bundle size.

Again, just like voice on Contract and Top-Up.
Click to expand...

Kind of differs from what you said earlier...

vodacom3g said:
Upgrades are happening all the time on back-haul, but not fast enough...:mad:

I think it's VERY important not to see this as a price increase. It would be wrong to try and compare it directly with the normal rates (BB-S).

If you never go out of bundle, you should not consider this new suite and rather stay on BB-S. If you have a rigourous bundle management regime in place, you don't need BB-S.

However, one of the biggest complaints we received over the years is about the very high OOB rates. Especially on this forum!

And it is for all of these subscribers that BB-A will save a lot of money.

So if you take a bundle and you go OOB by a certain %, say 15 or 20%, you'll now find that BB-A is actually cheaper than BB-S. And effective price REDUCTION.

We did a number of user polls, including here and the general consesus was that subs would be happy to pay some type of VAS to get a flatrate.

This is exactly what this is, a different rate but giving you OOB=IB. (And 7.2 and roll-over and a truly free device, etc. ;))
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At the end of the day - this offering says to me:
To have the luxury of not worrying about going OOB, pay more.
The simpler option is just to monitor yourself, I feel anyway.

And if the pricing does cover a device, then surely the numbers have also been worked to cover a VAS rate.
I now refer to the green highlighted section above:
So there is a VAS included into this rate?

The "up to 60 days" part is still going to screw over the majority of users whom are not vigilant about their usage :rolleyes:
 
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