Afrihost MTN Fixed LTE-A Thread

Pulserider said:
Speaking of unlucky....technically I did signed up before 26 November 2021:unsure:
Click to expand...

The promo applies to new signups between 15 and 26 November for either a Sim only or Sim + Device package.

Pure LTE Summer Promotion​


  • Sign up for a qualifying Pure LTE package between 15 - 26 November 2021 and get an additional 100GB FREE anytime data.
  • Qualifying Pure LTE (MTN) packages include: 40+40GB, 90+90GB, 200+200GB and 400+400GB.
  • The additional 100GB FREE anytime data will last until 31 December 2021.
  • Any remaining free data will be forfeited if you cancel your package before 31 December 2021.
  • Standard cancellation policy applies.
 
AfriNatic said:
The promo applies to new signups between 15 and 26 November for either a Sim only or Sim + Device package.

Pure LTE Summer Promotion​


  • Sign up for a qualifying Pure LTE package between 15 - 26 November 2021 and get an additional 100GB FREE anytime data.
  • Qualifying Pure LTE (MTN) packages include: 40+40GB, 90+90GB, 200+200GB and 400+400GB.
  • The additional 100GB FREE anytime data will last until 31 December 2021.
  • Any remaining free data will be forfeited if you cancel your package before 31 December 2021.
  • Standard cancellation policy applies.
Click to expand...
let me go cancel and re apply
 
Hi @AfriNatic - I've a question I don't think's covered by the 100 GB bonus data promo. terms (pasted below).

Please advise which data's used up / depleted first - the anytime or bonus data ?

To elaborate :
For eg. - I order by the 26th Nov., a 40 (anytime) + 40 (night) bundle and get 100 GB bonus data as well.

1. Does the Nov. '21 pro-rata anytime amount get depleted before the 100 GB bonus starts getting used, then when Dec. '21 rolls around, the anytime 40 GB would also get used up, before remaining data from the 100 GB is used & subsequently depleted ?

OR

2. Once the SIM's activated, does the 100 GB get used up FIRST (during remainder of Nov., and then in Dec.), before November's anytime data, and thereafter December's anytime starts being used
(taking into account November anytime data would rollover into Dec.) ?

OR

3. Some other scenario ?


Excuse me if the answer should be obvious & I'm just not seeing it.

Here are the only terms / conditions I see displayed :

Pure LTE Summer Promotion

Sign up for a qualifying Pure LTE package between 15 - 26 November 2021 and get an additional 100GB FREE anytime data.
Qualifying Pure LTE (MTN) packages include: 40+40GB, 90+90GB, 200+200GB and 400+400GB.
The additional 100GB FREE anytime data will last until 31 December 2021.
Any remaining free data will be forfeited if you cancel your package before 31 December 2021.
Standard cancellation policy applies.
Click to expand...
 
BCR said:
Hi @AfriNatic - I've a question I don't think's covered by the 100 GB bonus data promo. terms (pasted below).

Please advise which data's used up / depleted first - the anytime or bonus data ?

To elaborate :
For eg. - I order by the 26th Nov., a 40 (anytime) + 40 (night) bundle and get 100 GB bonus data as well.

1. Does the Nov. '21 pro-rata anytime amount get depleted before the 100 GB bonus starts getting used, then when Dec. '21 rolls around, the anytime 40 GB would also get used up, before remaining data from the 100 GB is used & subsequently depleted ?

OR

2. Once the SIM's activated, does the 100 GB get used up FIRST (during remainder of Nov., and then in Dec.), before November's anytime data, and thereafter December's anytime starts being used
(taking into account November anytime data would rollover into Dec.) ?

OR

3. Some other scenario ?


Excuse me if the answer should be obvious & I'm just not seeing it.

Here are the only terms / conditions I see displayed :
Click to expand...

Hi,

Our data on MTN fixed LTE roll over. This means that if you signup in November that data allocation will only expire at the end of December and the data allocated on the 1st of December will only expire at the end of January 2022. Given this it wouldn't matter which data is consumed first as the 100GB promo has an expiry of end of December. That gives you from the date of activation in November to end of December to use both November pro rata allocation and the 100GB promo.

Hope that makes sense.

Just as an general note on data depletion. We deplete whichever data expires first and then move on to the next allocation.
 
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AfriNatic said:
Hi,

Our data on MTN fixed LTE roll over. This means that if you signup in November that data allocation will only expire at the end of December and the data allocated on the 1st of December will only expire at the end of January 2022. Given this it wouldn't matter which data is consumed first as the 100GB promo has an expiry of end of December. That gives you from the date of activation in November to end of December to use both November pro rata allocation and the 100GB promo.

Hope that makes sense.

Just as an general note on data depletion. We deplete whichever data expires first and then move on to the next allocation.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I understood, and was aware of the usual data rollover for anytime & night time data.

I was trying to distinguish between the anytime & bonus data, and which allocation would get used up first over the 2 months ; guess if I go for it, I'll see how it all pans out.

Thanks again.
 
Sorry to worry you, @AfriNatic ...

Bought an MTN SIM earlier & here are 2 speedtests using a B525 router.
1st one done while cloudy, 2nd one while partly-cloudy - don't know if that's the reason for uploads being higher than downloads, or it's general tower congestion ?

https://speedtest.co.za/result/5493823

ISP: MTN SA
Ping: 29ms
Download: 35.36Mbps
Upload: 42.24Mbps

MTN SA – 2021-11-17 11:50:38
Server: ZA - Cape Town


https://speedtest.co.za/result/5493890

ISP: MTN SA
Ping: 29ms
Download: 27.43Mbps
Upload: 41.32Mbps

MTN SA – 2021-11-17 11:56:43
Server: ZA - Cape Town

Do you think I'll see similar results if an MTN SIM's running on your Air Mobile network ?

Don't know if you recall, but I had to cancel my MTN SIM through you guys earlier on this year, as I was experiencing a number of cut-out's / dropped connections each day.

When others complained about the same thing a few months ago, you worked with MTN to get it sorted - so I don't know if the two were connected - but that's my only apprehension about ordering the same service again.

Do you think the service is stable all over (I'm in PE), with the extra work & effort you guys put into it a few months ago, notwithstanding the periodic load shedding which is starting up again ..

https://twitter.com/x/status/1460881964521734146

If you do (think there's been improvement), I'll go ahead and order a SIM.

Regards.
 
BCR said:
Sorry to worry you, @AfriNatic ...

Bought an MTN SIM earlier & here are 2 speedtests using a B525 router.
1st one done while cloudy, 2nd one while partly-cloudy - don't know if that's the reason for uploads being higher than downloads, or it's general tower congestion ?

https://speedtest.co.za/result/5493823

ISP: MTN SA
Ping: 29ms
Download: 35.36Mbps
Upload: 42.24Mbps

MTN SA – 2021-11-17 11:50:38
Server: ZA - Cape Town


https://speedtest.co.za/result/5493890

ISP: MTN SA
Ping: 29ms
Download: 27.43Mbps
Upload: 41.32Mbps

MTN SA – 2021-11-17 11:56:43
Server: ZA - Cape Town

Do you think I'll see similar results if an MTN SIM's running on your Air Mobile network ?

Don't know if you recall, but I had to cancel my MTN SIM through you guys earlier on this year, as I was experiencing a number of cut-out's / dropped connections each day.

When others complained about the same thing a few months ago, you worked with MTN to get it sorted - so I don't know if the two were connected - but that's my only apprehension about ordering the same service again.

Do you think the service is stable all over (I'm in PE), with the extra work & effort you guys put into it a few months ago, notwithstanding the periodic load shedding which is starting up again ..

https://twitter.com/x/status/1460881964521734146

If you do (think there's been improvement), I'll go ahead and order a SIM.

Regards.
Click to expand...

The speeds will be totally coverage and tower related. If you are getting good stable speeds currently the sim we provide will be the same. We had some issues with Fixed LTE but everything is resolved. I'm confident the network is up for the challenge.

When it comes to loadshedding there are 2 issues a tower face.

1. Once power fails and the tower drops to battery backup the main fibre backhaul usually goes down with it and the tower operates with limited bandwidth. If you have 5G that falls away and only 2G,3G and 4G is available to save battery.
2. Depending on the traffic of the tower and how frequently the power went off will depend how long the tower will stay on. We have noticed that some towers slowly drop from 4G to 3G and then ultimately 2G until the backup battery has depleted. With Fixed LTE it works on LTE/4G and 5G only and won;t fall back to 3G if the tower drops that.
 
AfriNatic said:
The speeds will be totally coverage and tower related. If you are getting good stable speeds currently the sim we provide will be the same. We had some issues with Fixed LTE but everything is resolved. I'm confident the network is up for the challenge.

When it comes to loadshedding there are 2 issues a tower face.

1. Once power fails and the tower drops to battery backup the main fibre backhaul usually goes down with it and the tower operates with limited bandwidth. If you have 5G that falls away and only 2G,3G and 4G is available to save battery.
2. Depending on the traffic of the tower and how frequently the power went off will depend how long the tower will stay on. We have noticed that some towers slowly drop from 4G to 3G and then ultimately 2G until the backup battery has depleted. With Fixed LTE it works on LTE/4G and 5G only and won;t fall back to 3G if the tower drops that.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much for the quick, positive reply & additional info. re load-shedding.

That aspect of it hasn't concerned me much up to now, as our data usage isn't time critical / sensitive, so it's not as though we need to keep it running or have to get back to full speed, ASAP.

To now, using Cell C & Telkom primarily, they've tended to recover somewhat differently from one another where I am :
Once power's restored after 2 hours, Cell C seems to come back strongly to full signal & full speeds immediately for about an hour, then it loses signal strength for a time, and then gets back to full signal.

Telkom on the other hand, sits at 2 to 3 bars on 4G for about an hour or two, then only thereafter comes back to full signal.
 
@AfriNatic - just to check one thing on this point regarding RICA and delivery of THE MTN SIM :

"We CANNOT accept photocopies of your Identity Document or Proof of Residence without the ORIGINAL documents being present when receiving the SIM Card."

Concerning the "original document", I'm able to provide a bank statement.

Is it acceptable these days, that an original is emailed to my address (same one using to login to Afrihost with), and therefore on my SMARTPHONE for the courier to view it that way ?

I'll obviously get a printout of it for the courier (along with SA ID).

I RICA'd the MTN SIM yesterday that way at Ackermans & have done similarly at PEP, before.

Or, do Afrihost / courier co. require a hard-copy printout from a branch ?

In my view, amounts to the same thing but would like confirmation, if on smartphone it's acceptable ?

Thanks yet again.
 
BCR said:
@AfriNatic - just to check one thing on this point regarding RICA and delivery of THE MTN SIM :

"We CANNOT accept photocopies of your Identity Document or Proof of Residence without the ORIGINAL documents being present when receiving the SIM Card."

Concerning the "original document", I'm able to provide a bank statement.

Is it acceptable these days, that an original is emailed to my address (same one using to login to Afrihost with), and therefore on my SMARTPHONE for the courier to view it that way ?

I'll obviously get a printout of it for the courier (along with SA ID).

I RICA'd the MTN SIM yesterday that way at Ackermans & have done similarly at PEP, before.

Or, do Afrihost / courier co. require a hard-copy printout from a branch ?

In my view, amounts to the same thing but would like confirmation, if on smartphone it's acceptable ?

Thanks yet again.
Click to expand...

Copies would be fine. You can print the first page of the estatement showing the address.
 
AfriNatic said:
Copies would be fine. You can print the first page of the estatement showing the address.
Click to expand...
Thank you.

Will show the courier the e-statement on the phone, as the (proof of address etc.) document for RICA ; that was my main concern, about it being acceptable.
 
AfriNatic said:
Hi,

Please send me a pm with your email address so I can log a fault for you.
Click to expand...
Oh, a fault has been logged, been using this docker image utilizing the speedtest servers for the last 6 hours, this was the reply of MTN network coverage if you can call it that "Kindly note - the network tower 17099 in the area is being affected by the power issue - site was down again on the 17/11/2021 due to power". The only thing is this problem persisted before blackouts. And as you may see this is the "speed" you get for 6 hours. So I suppose the next stop will be ISPA. As you can see the ping is high, the signal is more than reasonable if you measure it with tools like Cell Info Lite. So yes it is great when you are serviced by a supplier who oversubscribed to the point of over congestion then blame it on electrical blackouts. Do not believe me here are the speedtest results from the 9th of November. Keep in mind this is LTE which under ideal conditions can run up to 300 Mbps and on average do 170 Mbps in ZA. For anybody else out there in the Wild Wild West having similar issues here is a nice docker image and script you can run on your Linux or Windows instance https://github.com/pedrocesar-ti/internet-speedtest-docker

www.speedtest.net

Speedtest by Ookla - The Global Broadband Speed Test

Use Speedtest on all your devices with our free desktop and mobile apps.
www.speedtest.net www.speedtest.net

Fair warning to anybody who may think that MTN will handle you with stats and proper diagnostics like a paying customer, it is impossible. They think most users out there are simple-minded and all end-users.

I first saw the symptoms of this when I had to use my mobile as a hotspot while having been another victim of affirmative copper theft. I am not the only Afrihost user with PureLTE on the MTN network experiencing it in the same area. No joy.

Update: The miracle of ZA technology at around 23:00, the towers are no longer influenced by blackouts, and you get 35 times the speed you got for the last 12 hours. It must be a MTN Miracle, WOW!


PS. I do not blame Afrihost at the end of the day, they are a second-tier ISP. Also if you want to use this PureLTE service the fine print states that 10 Mbps is actually a service, on LTE.

 

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@AfriNatic Having constant low SNR/SINR on the Afrihost Fixed LTE but all the other stats is great. What could be the issue? Speedtests is also good, but the stability/drops is bad. I have tested with different routers and used a fixed antenna. Not sure if I need to point it to another tower, but not sure where another MTN tower is. Pitty, because my tower was upgraded only a few months back, but the low SNR/SINR is giving issues.
 
Pulserider said:
@AfriNatic Having constant low SNR/SINR on the Afrihost Fixed LTE but all the other stats is great. What could be the issue? Speedtests is also good, but the stability/drops is bad. I have tested with different routers and used a fixed antenna. Not sure if I need to point it to another tower, but not sure where another MTN tower is. Pitty, because my tower was upgraded only a few months back, but the low SNR/SINR is giving issues.
Click to expand...

If your RSRP is good the SINR is bad it's usually related to noise. That could be structures or objects causing but also other signal. I have a good example of this. Where I live I have 3 MTN towers I can see from the window. Placing the router there gives me -75dB RSRP but the SNIR is -8. These towers are close to each other and my router can see all of them with good signal but that causes noise.
 
AfriNatic said:
If your RSRP is good the SINR is bad it's usually related to noise. That could be structures or objects causing but also other signal. I have a good example of this. Where I live I have 3 MTN towers I can see from the window. Placing the router there gives me -75dB RSRP but the SNIR is -8. These towers are close to each other and my router can see all of them with good signal but that causes noise.
Click to expand...

Thanks. So nothing really I can do about this? What surprise me is that the Telkom tower is giving much more better SINR. The thing is also I was hoping they would have sorted out some thing because they upgraded the tower. I have line of sight to the tower.
 
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