Cap Rollover?

[dna]

Hi there.

Something I've been wondering about.

If I've ordered a 3GB account from my ISP, this surely entitles me to 3GB of data per month, is that correct?

With the new 'pay-per-usage' model I have paid, in advance, for 3 GB of data, so I can use 3 GB of data. I think that not many people will disagree with this statement.

The question is this: what happens if I don't use the full 3GB? From looking at these forums, that does seem to be too much of a problem But humour me.

Should I not have a rollover of the data that I don't use? Or should I not be refunded for the data I've paid for but not used? So if I use only 2.1GB, the extra 0.9GB I've not used is available for me to use next month?

IMHO, this 'pay-per-usage' model is a little bit of a misnomer. It's probably more likely 'pay-per-usage-or-the-nearest-gig', and a gig is quite a bit to be rounding up to!

Comments?

 

[Franna]

This is all profit for Telkom and the ISPs. They bargain on most people not using their full 3GB per month.

 

[donaldza]

Imagine you bought R150 for your cell phone prepaid then at the end of the month they just reset it to zero.

Only Telkom would think of something so daft.

 

[bekdik]

Hi there.

Something I've been wondering about.

If I've ordered a 3GB account from my ISP, this surely entitles me to 3GB of data per month, is that correct?

With the new 'pay-per-usage' model I have paid, in advance, for 3 GB of data, so I can use 3 GB of data. I think that not many people will disagree with this statement.

The question is this: what happens if I don't use the full 3GB? From looking at these forums, that does seem to be too much of a problem But humour me.

Should I not have a rollover of the data that I don't use? Or should I not be refunded for the data I've paid for but not used? So if I use only 2.1GB, the extra 0.9GB I've not used is available for me to use next month?

IMHO, this 'pay-per-usage' model is a little bit of a misnomer. It's probably more likely 'pay-per-usage-or-the-nearest-gig', and a gig is quite a bit to be rounding up to!

Comments?

It would be if one were working with an honest broker. we have to work with Telkom.

 

[fivelza]

This is all profit for Telkom and the ISPs. They bargain on most people not using their full 3GB per month.

Aren't the ISP's also charged per gig, so they wouldn't make anything extra? Telkom ( as per usual) is the winner .

 

[Moederloos]

This has laways been my argument.

I do not download movies, music etc, but do download an obscene amount of software from time to time (need a linux distro, chances are I have it!)

This month, I have used 0.5 GB in total, last month around 2GB and the two months before that, over 25GB per month.

A roll over for me would be a good system (I would even go so far as to allow my ISP to roll over in BOTH directions - if I use 4GB on a 3GB in a month, then -1GB (minus one GB) gets carried over).

However, this is all based on the pathetic 3GB we have shoved in our faces, best of course would be uncapped.

 

[dna]

I can see a scenario emerging:

Angry MyADSL people: grrr, you're charging us for services we're not using!
ISP's: Indeed, Telkom are charging us too!
Telkom: It's a much more flexible model. We give the ISP's freedom to structure packages as they wish!

donaldza hit the nail on the head as to what I was alluding to. It's completely unacceptable in a prepaid world to have your remaining credit taken away at month end. Perhaps I was a little silly to say we pay for ADSL in advance, though.

So perhaps the analogy of a cellphone contract, where you get 200 free minutes a month is more suitable.

This is something that _can_ be taken seriously by Telkom, because I won't pay for something I've not used. This is along the same lines as the whole November pricing thing, but might be more difficult for Telkom to dodge with their usual rhetoric.

A quick look at www.telkominternet.co.za and axxess.co.za show me nothing by way of terms and conditions stating that the cap you've paid for does not roll over.

 

[R4tt3xx]

SAIX account : 3GB

Download : 5 121 524 053 bytes
Upload : 911 990 230 bytes

Status : Not Capped

EIsh there is something wrong with Telskum this month. I have transceived 6GB of data already and am not capped. The marvels of modern Telkom technology. (Half the time it does not work!!!!)

 

[Moederloos]

SAIX account : 3GB

Download : 5 121 524 053 bytes
Upload : 911 990 230 bytes

Status : Not Capped

EIsh there is something wrong with Telskum this month. I have transceived 6GB of data already and am not capped. The marvels of modern Telkom technology. (Half the time it does not work!!!!)

"For your benefit" they have automatically switched you to the "new and improved" pay per GB system. Enjoy your bill next month

 

[musan]

very good point, where this a comsumer basid place you would get it.
but you will NEVER get something as desent and fair as this from telkom, or from any monopoly or bank for that matter

 

[musan]

"For your benefit" they have automatically switched you to the "new and improved" pay per GB system. Enjoy your bill next month

do you have confirmation of this ?

 

[Moederloos]

do you have confirmation of this ?

It was said in jest - however, seeing how long it took Telkom to mail their clients informing them of the hardcap, it would not surprise me.

 

[antowan]

This is all profit for Telkom and the ISPs. They bargain on most people not using their full 3GB per month.

Problem is most people want more but they scare the **** out of you by saying you will pay if you use more!

Thus you use less. Quite clever but very cruell really! It does however seem that Telkom Internet isn't capping...

 

[pope24]

The profit is all for the ISPs. I would guess if they rolled over unused GBs then they would make little or no profit.
SAIX only charges the ISP per GB used, the ISP does the rest.

 

[bekdik]

very good point, where this a comsumer basid place you would get it.
but you will NEVER get something as desent and fair as this from telkom, or from any monopoly or bank for that matter

My cell subscription works similar to this.

I think the +- carryover is a great idea, much better than the cell contracts.

However one would expect that if you use double what you have bought in month 1, then you will have zero in month 2, unless you purchase extra. Which wouldn't be unfair.

 

[fivelza]

SAIX account : 3GB

Download : 5 121 524 053 bytes
Upload : 911 990 230 bytes

Status : Not Capped

EIsh there is something wrong with Telskum this month. I have transceived 6GB of data already and am not capped. The marvels of modern Telkom technology. (Half the time it does not work!!!!)

I hope they don't bill you for everything over 3gb!

 

[musan]

i just called telkom on there billing depo10219,2,2 and was told that telkom internet will NOT be hardcaped and my services will remain the same as they where last monthindefenetly , and i will recive polstal notifation of any changes.
i failed to mention that i have alredy gone a gig over my cap and have not been caped, but they dont need to know that now do they.

 

[nGAGEd55]

Web Africa has a Pre-paid system where u decide how many Gigs u want each month and you get billed for that amout every month like usual, but any gigs not used get carried over.

Prepaid ADSL
Our prepaid ADSL option allows for you to obtain a certain amount of usage for the month, but, unlike the fixed-cap service, your remaining usage credit is retained for the following month. Therefore if you bought 10GB this month but only used 2GB, you will have the remaining 8GB available for use next month.

Prepaid Shaped - R75p/GB
Prepaid Unshaped - R125p/GB

From: http://www.webafrica.co.za/solutions/adsl_november_pricing.html

 

[dna]

Web Africa has a Pre-paid system where u decide how many Gigs u want each month and you get billed for that amout every month like usual, but any gigs not used get carried over.

nGAGEd55, that's all very well, but still, I don't want it to be per Gig. For my usage-pattern, 1GB is a lot of data. So I don't want my usage to be rounded to the nearest GB, I want it byte-based.

If 3GB costs R249, then 1GB costs R83. Let's say I use only 2172MB of the 3072MB I'm allowed, I lose 900MB, which is around R73. That's what I disagree with.

 

[bekdik]

I notice that MTN charges for Edge (and, presumably 3G) per byte at the prevailing rate, which I believe is a good solution. This means I only pay for what I use, not per GB. For instance, last month I was billed R0.06. (Obviously one of my busier cell web months )

This would be a fair way to charge for usage, rather than per GB. One could also have sliding scales or rates, again, as per MTN.

No I don't work for, or sell MTN products or services, this is a for instance.