Broadband prices compared

Nice comparison, but I can't understand why the pricing is based on cost per Mb per gigabyte? Surely one can only base it on cost per gigabyte since other factors come into play when you start adding things like the speed: ping, stability, shaping, availability, etc?
 
@rpm: If you are going to list Vodacom as 3.6 then you need to add the R49/pm fee.
 
I'm a bit surprised to see Iburst as being one of the cheapest. If it weren't for their non-existent service level and their grade 1 maths accounts department, they might actually be more like, especially on this forum.

Prices overall are still way too high, but unfortunately that is all thanks to Telkom. Hopefully once Seacom goes live we'll see a dramatic drop in prices
 
MTN has 3.6

MTN has had 3.6 for several months so the Cost/Mbps/GB is incorrect.
 
lcbxx said:
Nice comparison, but I can't understand why the pricing is based on cost per Mb per gigabyte? Surely one can only base it on cost per gigabyte since other factors come into play when you start adding things like the speed: ping, stability, shaping, availability, etc?
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I agree, but for different reasons. My reason is by illustration. If I'm looking for a 1gig deal, I don't care whether is 1 Mbps or 2 Mbps, I will take the cheaper option. Speed is really secondary.
 
MTN_Data_Dude said:
MTN has had 3.6 for several months so the Cost/Mbps/GB is incorrect.
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So you're saying that MTN has finally upgraded all of its HSDPA 1.8 base-stations countrywide to HSDPA 3.6? - MTN should have let the media know that this was the case :).
ThatOtherGuy said:
lcbxx said:
Nice comparison, but I can't understand why the pricing is based on cost per Mb per gigabyte? Surely one can only base it on cost per gigabyte since other factors come into play when you start adding things like the speed: ping, stability, shaping, availability, etc?
Click to expand...
I agree, but for different reasons. My reason is by illustration. If I'm looking for a 1gig deal, I don't care whether is 1 Mbps or 2 Mbps, I will take the cheaper option. Speed is really secondary.
Click to expand...
If you look at the comparison tables in the article, you will notice that there is a Cost column which provides the info you are looking for.
 
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BBSA said:
Also, you will never get 3.6 on Vodacom; 2.2 would be more realistic.
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But 2.2 Mbps is still (comparatively) good (for South Africa). I never got much more than 1 Mbps on the "Fastest" Telkom ADSL line I had. I have often reached over 2 Mbps on Vodacom HSDPA. And Vodacom is apparently busy upgrading to 7.2 Mbps, with faster uplink speeds too. We still won't reach that, but cellular options are leaving landline alternatives in the dust. So sad.
 
I've been making a similar table this weekend, comparing broadband costs including set-up costs and "activation" costs. It is difficult to compare packages... and I agree that speed is secondary.

It looks like Neotel or Vodacom HSDPA are my best options currently. I'm not happy about signing a Neotel contract, but this is partially mitigated by the fact that Neotel is as nomadic as I am :)
 
Debbie2 said:
I've been making a similar table this weekend, comparing broadband costs including set-up costs and "activation" costs. It is difficult to compare packages... and I agree that speed is secondary.

It looks like Neotel or Vodacom HSDPA are my best options currently. I'm not happy about signing a Neotel contract, but this is partially mitigated by the fact that Neotel is as nomadic as I am :)
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One huge problem there - coverage, and NeoGhost doesn't have enough of it to offer services to nomads.

This lack of coverage issue from NeoGhost is at the top of my gripes list - along with the 24 month contract and the lack of communication & lack variety in packages offered by NeoGhost that reminds me of WBS' early days.
 
Pitbull said:
I'm confused :confused:

What makes one company to be classified as 3.6 and another not ?
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Quite simply, from a subscriber's point of view, it comes down to countrywide availability of HSDPA 3.6...but if MTN has upgraded all of its HSDPA 1.8 base-stations to HSDPA 3.6 then that is[|would] no longer [be] a differentiating factor.

So the burning question is whether or not all of MTN's HSDPA 1.8 base-stations have in fact been upgraded to HSDPA 3.6? - we all know that Vodacom upgraded all of Vodacom's thousands of HSDPA 1.8 base-stations to HSDPA 3.6 prior to launching HSDPA 3.6.
 
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