Free data for all South Africans in radical regulatory intervention

[Beyond.Celsus]

This is probably going to get shafted in court when MTN and Vodacom challenge it. How is it in the realm of competition to force companies to hand out their products for free?

Pick and Pay are not obligated to provide people with free food.
Edgar's are not obligated to provide clothes for free.
Dischem isn't obligated to provide your medicine for free.

Can't really compare food, clothes and medicine to something you cant see or feel.

What is data? Is there a manufacturing process? Does it need to be transported to stores daily? Can you run out?

 

[AstroTurf]

Bet if they are forced to do this they will divide 500meg by 30 days then calculate the bandwidth needed to be able to use 500megs in exactly that amount of time and throttle the 500 meg to that speed.

 

[Currantly]

What is data? Is there a manufacturing process? Does it need to be transported to stores daily? Can you run out?

Data requires a network to transmit it. Networks cost money to build & maintain. The more data that is demanded, the more the network costs are.

 

[Solarion]

Remove the expiry date on data while you're at it. To me it makes no sense that you lose it because you don't use it.

 

[Okty]

Irony is, most South Africans would want free data only for their WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, twitter and other social media accounts.

 

[The_Librarian]

TANSTAAFL

So who's gonna pay for that "free" data then?

 

[aleksandar]

Can't really compare food, clothes and medicine to something you cant see or feel.

What is data? Is there a manufacturing process? Does it need to be transported to stores daily? Can you run out?

So if we can not see of feel it do we really need it?

 

[konfab]

Can't really compare food, clothes and medicine to something you cant see or feel.

What is data? Is there a manufacturing process? Does it need to be transported to stores daily? Can you run out?

Add a 200ms ping to an online connection used for gaming and tell me the user doesn't feel anything.
How many times have you asked someone to send you a message telling you that they are safe after a long car trip. I suppose people don't feel anything here as well.
Or how about calling your mother and asking her how her day was. No seeing or feeling here.
Heck, even this conversation we are having now. If I called you an uneducated communist who only deserves free helicopter rides, you will feel it.

What we call "data" is an abstraction for all the costs of transmitting information from one person to another electronically. This is a service that we value like any other product in the world, and as such it doesn't matter that you can't see or feel it directly.

 

[MrGray]

As wonderful as getting stuff for free may be, it would be completely unacceptable for the state to force any business into providing their service, or a portion of it, for no compensation. The precedent this would set is dangerous.

People don't want free, anyway, they want affordable. There's a difference. Hopefully most people understand that they have to pay something to get something. Or maybe not in SA, I don't know?

My biggest concern is that actions like this remove the incentive for providers to invest in infrastructure and improve service levels, with the end result being an overall net decline in service provision, not an improvement. This is the inevitable result of socialists/communists running the country. They honestly seem to believe that economics works by decree.

 

[SeRpEnT]

Wow. This is so going to the courts. The Competition Commission acting way out of their mandate.

 

[ArtyLoop]

Irony is, most South Africans would want free data only for their WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, twitter and other social media accounts.

And that is likely what they're going to get. Those of us who use the internet in the same way as our first world friends, will likely get f-all benefit.

 

[LCBXX]

As a concept of having basic data connectivity and certain Internet-services zero-rated for everyone, I approve. I'm not sure I like the idea of forcing the private sector to dramatically cut costs and offer free this and that.

That said, MTN and Vodacom has this coming when they found ways to weasel around the previous requests and rulings that urged them to make communication more accessible.

 

[lkswan747]

It will never happen!

 

[LPCPT]

Finally the exorbitant profits they make comes to light.
Charge consumers what you want because they do not have a choice. Pure exploitation and it must be controlled.
And yes they can charge, but a fair amount, people are willing to pay.

 

[Beyond.Celsus]

So if we can not see of feel it do we really need it?

Do you need data?
No, you don't

 

[Beyond.Celsus]

Add a 200ms ping to an online connection used for gaming and tell me the user doesn't feel anything.
How many times have you asked someone to send you a message telling you that they are safe after a long car trip. I suppose people don't feel anything here as well.
Or how about calling your mother and asking her how her day was. No seeing or feeling here.
Heck, even this conversation we are having now. If I called you an uneducated communist who only deserves free helicopter rides, you will feel it.

What we call "data" is an abstraction for all the costs of transmitting information from one person to another electronically. This is a service that we value like any other product in the world, and as such it doesn't matter that you can't see or feel it directly.

Never said it has no value.
Comparing it to food is ridiculous though. Food takes months (in the case of meat, years) to grow and cultivate.
Data has no production cost. (infrastructure notwithstanding)
It is about time they get reeled in as the cost to the consumer is outlandish.
Next up should be the banks.
Why the fark do we have some of the highest banking fees in the world?

Because they can get away with it.
Simple as that.

 

[The Free Radical]

Datafree porn sites and paper hand towels please.
Will keep the rapist w@nkers at home and reduce crime.

 

[Nanfeishen]

Finally the exorbitant profits they make comes to light.
Charge consumers what you want because they do not have a choice. Pure exploitation and it must be controlled.
And yes they can charge, but a fair amount, people are willing to pay.

Exorbitant doesnt even cover it , we are being ripped off , robbed and shafted all at once.

I.E Vodafone Australia 55GB data, unlimited national calls and text , plus 1000 min international to countries marked Zone 1 or 150 minutes to countries marked Zone 2 on special for 30 , yes 30 Aus Dollars per 35 days.
Thats R300.

Prepaid Plans and Recharges with Vodafone.

Grab a Prepaid Starter Pack and recharge it with what you love.

www.vodafone.com.au

Compared to Vodacom where a once off prepaid 10GB data only package will cost you double that at R605.

Cellphone Contracts | Prepaid Deals | Vodacom

Get cellphone & data contracts, plus Prepaid & Top Up deals. Join SA's leading network today with one of our competitive packages.

www.vodacom.co.za

Vodafone Aus has a smaller client base than Vodacom SA by far , they posted revenue for 2017 of 3,481 Billion aus dollars (roughly 35 Billion Rand) compared to Vodacom's revenue of R81.278 billion.

Vodafone Australia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Vodacom - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Providers in this country have been getting away with daylight robbery for way too long , its high time they were stopped, legislated against and pressured into dropping their product prices.
And no its not unaffordable for them to do this.

 

[friedpiggy]

Bearing in mind how little data a WhatsApp message uses, they could actually make it like 50mb free for everyone per month which is enough to send all the WhatsApp messages you flipping want to stay connected to loved ones. can even use email in a limited form. I don't see people on a contract or that buy large bundles changing their habits at all, all that will happen is that the poor people would have a way to stay in touch or send out some cvs.

 

[yebocan]

Exorbitant doesnt even cover it , we are being ripped off , robbed and shafted all at once.

I.E Vodafone Australia 55GB data, unlimited national calls and text , plus 1000 min international to countries marked Zone 1 or 150 minutes to countries marked Zone 2 on special for 30 , yes 30 Aus Dollars per 35 days.
Thats R300.

Prepaid Plans and Recharges with Vodafone.

Grab a Prepaid Starter Pack and recharge it with what you love.

www.vodafone.com.au

Compared to Vodacom where a once off prepaid 10GB data only package will cost you double that at R605.

Cellphone Contracts | Prepaid Deals | Vodacom

Get cellphone & data contracts, plus Prepaid & Top Up deals. Join SA's leading network today with one of our competitive packages.

www.vodacom.co.za

Vodafone Aus has a smaller client base than Vodacom SA by far , they posted revenue for 2017 of 3,481 Billion aus dollars (roughly 35 Billion Rand) compared to Vodacom's revenue of R81.278 billion.

Vodafone Australia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Vodacom - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Providers in this country have been getting away with daylight robbery for way too long , its high time they were stopped, legislated against and pressured into dropping their product prices.
And no its not unaffordable for them to do this.

We so use to being ripped off, by government + private sector, it's the norm of our existence ..... what I do not get is those, that just simply agree, with this shafting.