Disappearing data: are Vodacom, MTN cheating you?

You would think they can at least let your OS updates run free of charge seeing as other operators offer to flash OS upgrades when you walk in overseas.

Automatic updates: MTN said most complaints it received point to updates running in the background. Vodacom pointed out that this includes updates to applications as well, and not just system software. Updates can be hundreds of megabytes in size.
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And this is also no excuse, I do not pay for data on these apps with cellC
Social media: Facebook and Instagram have both started showing higher resolution images, MTN said. WhatsApp photo and video messages can be up to 16MB each.
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Lazy said:
Also don't forget that there is a lot more happening on the connection than you think.
If you are downloading a 1MB file, you are not just transferring 1MB across the wire. The 1MB will be broken down into "chunks" of approx. 1400 bytes each.
So I'll make the worst case assumptions here, and do some math to simply illustrate the point.

1MB is 1,000,000 bytes.
That's about 714 chunks of 1400 bytes that has to be transferred.

Each chunk has overhead to trasmit, which is at least 54 bytes. Each transmission might also have an acknowledgement of 54 bytes.
So the "overhead" is at max 108 bytes in this example.
714x108 bytes=77,112 bytes.

So at this point, your transmission overhead is about 7% of your data size.

Now it gets ugly, say your connection isn't entirely stable or the tower is busy etc etc. Some of those chunks would have to be re-transmitted. Let'ts say your connection is stable 80% of the time and make it simple that 20% of transmissions fail.

So you started off with 714 chunks to transmit.
You transmit 714, but 143 failed.
You transmit 143, but 29 failed.
You transmit 29, but 6 failed.
You transmit 6, but 2 failed.
You transmit 2.

In the end, you've transmitted 714+143+29+6+2 chunks to get your 1MB. That's 894 transmissions, not 714.
894x108 bytes=96,552 bytes.
HOWEVER, because you've re-transmitted some data, you've sent some chunks twice!
894-714=180 chunks that were sent twice.
180*1400=252,000 bytes.

So, your overhead (96,552 bytes) plus your retransmitted chunks (252,000 bytes) is 348,552 bytes.

Therefore, to transfer your 1,000,000 bytes actually cost you an additional 348,552 bytes.
...and therefore your overhead is 34%.

So you would consume 34% more data than you realized.
So you'd think you downloaded 1MB, but you actually downloaded 1.3MB.

On 1GB, that would then be 1.3GB if we just make this a linear scenario.

*disclaimer, I made a lot of assumptions here to explain the math
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well, you an't really LAZY now are you ? :p
 
Windows 10: There was a sudden increase in the number of complaints when Microsoft launched the free update to Windows 10, which is a download of around 3GB.
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Since we are talking mobile data mostly used in mobile phones, this reason probably applies to a very very very small percentage of the complainants
 
LTE: Both networks said they have been rolling out LTE. This offers faster data speeds, which means subscribers with LTE devices are able to download more data in less time than they used to. “An overwhelmingly large number of complainants use LTE-compliant handsets,” said MTN.


Still waiting for the LTE-enabled OOB shark to bite somebody. And it won't be pretty.
 
maumau said:
I sympathise with uninformed users.

Most apps default to automatic update and if nobody's around to show them how to disable it, they're stuffed. Bloatware like ChatOn, EverNote and Flipboard update regularly if you allow it and give terrifying warnings if you uninstall or even force stop them.

Why don't staff at the MTN/Voda/Cell C shops help customers set them up if they sign contracts?
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We do actually, called Smart Startup. In all the VC shops.

But it clearly only helps people who are in a Vodacom Shop taking out a new contract.
 
Garyvdh said:
It was big news around here when Windows 10 was first released, then it kinda died down when people found out how to disable it.
But it is turned on by default.
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Gary, do you know if the initial ~3GB Win 10 upgrade is also distributed this way?

My PC downloaded it, so I assume it's there somewhere. Will it also serve upstream?
 
jannievanzyl said:
Gary, do you know if the initial ~3GB Win 10 upgrade is also distributed this way?

My PC downloaded it, so I assume it's there somewhere. Will it also serve upstream?
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No, I think it is only for updates and apps, but I could be wrong.
I'm not a microsoft insider! :p

See here....
http://lifehacker.com/windows-10-uses-your-bandwidth-to-distribute-updates-d-1721091469
http://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10-silently-uses-your-bandwidth-to-send-updates-to-others/
 
rule of thumb:

get new phone, turn all auto updates off, at least on mobile networks and to ask for wifi.
 
Necropolis said:
You really should be tracking your own data usage...

You can't just blindly use data and then bitch and moan that they are "stealing" from you.
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Blindly?? what part here didn't you understand: I manage my usage on this data sim vehemently.

I do keep track, both locally, and through their website. Sadly their site is down 99% of the time during the last week of the month, or at least data usage is unavailable.

I do claim they stole from me, but nothing I do to prove my case is acceptable to them.

I had fibre installed from Vodacom beginning August. If you could experience the chaotic extremely poor process everybody in our estate experienced, you'd find it extremely hard to believe that Vodacom can bill anybody correctly.

Some highlights:

1. I had 6 appointments with the installers during which special arrangements was made in order so that somebody could be present during the installation. Not a single appointment was cancelled, and nobody ever pitched up.
2. I had to call Michelle multiple times (increasing in regularity), and had her come to my house and call the installers until they arrived, which was then around 15 minutes later.
3. On arrival, the guy didn’t have a phone with him, had to leave again to go and fetch one. I wouldn’t sign anything until the installation was completed thoroughly.
4. Installation took almost 5 hours, when they said it would only be an hour or so.
5. After installation, 4 different guys came to take pictures of the installation on different days. Surely this process can be improved.
6. I was called by people trying to schedule an installation after my installation was already completed – only they had a different name & address for me, but my correct number. This happened twice, with different names & addresses. This seems to indicate a gross mismanagement of data and processes.
7. I was sent notification that a VOIP package has been loaded for me (which I didn't request). I've got emails from 2 different vodacom people in the same department, one stating it's free (only data usage applies), the other stating a tariff per minute. Neither knows who is correct.
8. According to their records I haven't even used 1 MB of data since being connected (verified by mac address), but I've certainly done around 250GB.

Now tell me you can honestly say that you trust them to bill +- 30 million customers correctly?
 
supersunbird said:
How does recieving a SMS deplete ones airtime?
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If you get an SMS from MTN offering to sell you a data bundle, it is because they have detected you are using data and are trying to rather offer you a bundle.

However as I was on a 24h unlimited bundle, I did not expect MTN to start selling me bundles at the at moment. It prompted me to check my airtime and I found I had R1 left!
 
This is most interesting. We were away overseas for two weeks. My router was off and locked away, so no one could use it. When we came back early in the month, my monthly 3Gig contract was 2.9 Gig. Who used the 100 megs Vodacom?
 
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