How does Telkom LTE/LTE-A bundles work?

[RetroK]

Hey....is there anyone who is possibly using the prepaid LTE/LTE-A bundles (that are in the *180# menu) and not on contract?
I've been thinking about buying the LTE 10GB anytime data +10GB night data bundle, but am clueless about it. Can I just buy them like other data bundles? Or do I have to get my sim card registered or something? Please help..

 

[krieg]

Hey....is there anyone who is possibly using the prepaid LTE/LTE-A bundles (that are in the *180# menu) and not on contract?
I've been thinking about buying the LTE 10GB anytime data +10GB night data bundle, but am clueless about it. Can I just buy them like other data bundles? Or do I have to get my sim cars registered or something? Please help..

You need to change your package to Smartbroadband or something, once done the LTE bundles are available under the USSD menu. I think to change package is also under the USSD menu but not sure.

 

[RetroK]

You need to change your package to Smartbroadband or something, once done the LTE bundles are available under the USSD menu. I think to change package is also under the USSD menu but not sure.

Hi, I've already changed it to Smartbroadband Wireless Prepaid, and am also seeing the bundles in the *180# menu. But am still unsure if I can just purchase them, or if I need to do something else first to be able to use them.

 

[krieg]

Hi, I've already changed it to Smartbroadband Wireless Prepaid, and am also seeing the bundles in the *180# menu. But am still unsure if I can just purchase them, or if I need to do something else first to be able to use them.

You will need airtime and a LTE device and be in a LTE area that's it.

 

[RetroK]

You will need airtime and a LTE device and be in a LTE area that's it.

Okay thank you. So the lte device, is it like a router? Or is it just a smartphone that supports 4G/LTE? Also I've checked the coverage map, and I am in an LTE area.

 

[krieg]

Okay thank you. So the lte device, is it like a router? Or is it just a smartphone that supports 4G/LTE? Also I've checked the coverage map, and I am in an LTE area.

You can use a router or a phone with LTE yes. Under balances it shows the LTE data separately so you check if it goes off correctly.

 

[BCR]

To purchase data bundles from airtime on Telkom, the SIM card doesn't even need to be put into a 4G / LTE phone. I've been through this process plenty of times using an old Nokia 2310, and as recently as about a month ago.

You can also check data balances on that phone (or similar, old 2G phones) using USSD code *188#.

Just mentioning this in case anyone wants or needs to use an old phone for this on Telkom.

The same doesn't apply on Cell C - ie. last I tested, you couldn't even get a signal on that old Nokia 2G phone, but had to use a 4G smartphone.

 

[Jake45]

Hey....is there anyone who is possibly using the prepaid LTE/LTE-A bundles (that are in the *180# menu) and not on contract?
I've been thinking about buying the LTE 10GB anytime data +10GB night data bundle, but am clueless about it. Can I just buy them like other data bundles? Or do I have to get my sim card registered or something? Please help..

Some of the Telkom bundles have 61 day expiry dates so you could save money by buying a larger 20+20GB bundle and splitting it over two months if that is worthwhile. The night data portion would only be available for 31 days though but you could save around R24-50pm if you are mainly using the anytime data.

I think that you can also transfer data from those packages to different SIM cards which might also be useful.

If you load the airtime onto a different SIM card on the new Thola More Plan you should be able to score an additional 400~500MB of data (7 day expiry) as well as 100~200 Telkom to Telkom minutes and 100~200SMSs. After receiving your freebies you should be able to transfer the airtime onto your SmartBroadband plan SIM and then purchase the bundle of your choice on that SIM card.

Telkom Replaces SIM-Sonke With New Data-Inclusive Prepaid Plan, Thola More | TechFinancials

Telkom has launched a new tariff plan named Thola More. The new prepaid plan will replace the company’s voice-focused offering – SIM Sonke.

www.techfinancials.co.za

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secure.telkom.co.za

 

[Jake45]

@BayCityRoller: Your previous message seems to have disappeared.

One other thing that you can do using the Thola More plan is to make small airtime recharges every week to make use of the freebies and only purchase the bundles every second month etc. You should be able to just leave the unused airtime in your account. None of the unused airtime that I have left on my Telkom SIM cards has gone missing so far but I don't generally leave large amounts on my SIM cards. If you recharge with R50 every week you get 200MB and 50 free Telkom to Telkom minutes. In the past I have used the free minutes to make long calls to Telkom numbers which might be costly. I generally use the TymeBank website to transfer airtime to my SIM cards which is a lot simpler than using prepaid airtime PINs from printouts etc.

If you check your Mo'Nice offers regularly you may find something worthwhile. They did have a 50GB 7 day Nightsurfer package for R49 a few weeks ago but I'm not sure whether this is still available. The Mo'Nice voice bundles for Telkom numbers are usually quite cheap and useful.

 

[BCR]

Hi again @Jake45 - yes, I took my last reply out as it referenced Axxess too much (ie. off topic), and negatively (which wasn't applicable here).

If you recharge with R50 every week you get 200MB and 50 free Telkom to Telkom minutes. In the past I have used the free minutes to make long calls to Telkom numbers ...

I'd probably have to have a 2nd smartphone to do this (re the data part) because my main SIM (on Vodacom) is too entrenched already in what I do - unless I ported that main no. .... but somewhat concerned it wouldn't work out the way I wanted.

I've kept with Vodacom all this time as recharges need to be as infrequent as once every 9 months (from info. I picked up years ago), and I hardly make any calls / use any SMSs, so Telkom's freebies aren't that appealing to me.

Also, these days, so many numbers are not on Telkom's network, but on independent VOIP systems.
That's probably why Telkom are so willing to give away free minutes on ONLY their network ?

You may have nos. of people / companies you already know are with Telkom, so that works out well for you, but short of trying a no. each time and either getting through on this Telkom-to-Telkom free minutes story, or not, I don't know how to find out beforehand these days, whether a number is with Telkom beforehand (especially those pre-fixed with city codes - eg. 011, 012, 021, 031 etc., many of which are now on VOIP).

But for free data, it might be worth trying to run a 2nd SIM in my case.

 

[Budza]

If using Telkom only data, disable data roaming so you stay on Telkom even if signal isn't great (better than hopping to VC where your data doesn't work anyway)

*180#13 -:> block Telkom-R

 

[The_Ogre]

"Refreshing SIM Data".

Be prepared to see that a lot with the LTE bundles when you are out of LTE coverage.

What I do is buy the LTE bundle and then a 1GB All Network bundle for those times that I don't have Telkom LTE coverage. Works well.

 

[Budza]

"Refreshing SIM Data".

Be prepared to see that a lot with the LTE bundles when you are out of LTE coverage.

What I do is buy the LTE bundle and then a 1GB All Network bundle for those times that I don't have Telkom LTE coverage. Works well.

Per my response above, I prefer to block roaming altogether. That way I know what I'm paying for the data used (I have a dual SIM phone, so if there's no Telkmo LTE I can switch to my FNB Connect SIM).

 

[blcksmit]

Thank you for asking and thanks for all the helpful responses. Elated

 

[Chabata]

Hey....is there anyone who is possibly using the prepaid LTE/LTE-A bundles (that are in the *180# menu) and not on contract?
I've been thinking about buying the LTE 10GB anytime data +10GB night data bundle, but am clueless about it. Can I just buy them like other data bundles? Or do I have to get my sim card registered or something? Please help.

 

[joshuatree]

Using the 1TB prepaid LTE bundle for R899 until deciding on fibre again.

SIM is in a Huawei B535 router. Speeds haven't been great, download up to about 20, at best mostly around 13,14,15 or less.

Biggest issue for me is it is NOT possible to transfer any data to any other Telkom SIM! I thought it would be.

Why can't one transfer data?
1TB bundle is only valid for 31 days, which seems ridiculous, 61 days would make sense.

 

[ajax]

Using the 1TB prepaid LTE bundle for R899 until deciding on fibre again.

SIM is in a Huawei B535 router. Speeds haven't been great, download up to about 20, at best mostly around 13,14,15 or less.

Biggest issue for me is it is NOT possible to transfer any data to any other Telkom SIM! I thought it would be.

Why can't one transfer data?
1TB bundle is only valid for 31 days, which seems ridiculous, 61 days would make sense.

Fully agree with you there. If the 1 TB was valid for 61 days, that would have been just awesome. Just use 500 GByte in 30 days, load a new one every 60 days.
At least the LTE month-2-month deals allow transfer. But I noticed on my 180+180 it is limited to 1 GB per day, and max 10 GB per month. But then again the connection is fully portable, provided there's coverage.

 

[joshuatree]

Fully agree with you there. If the 1 TB was valid for 61 days, that would have been just awesome. Just use 500 GByte in 30 days, load a new one every 60 days.
At least the LTE month-2-month deals allow transfer. But I noticed on my 180+180 it is limited to 1 GB per day, and max 10 GB per month. But then again the connection is fully portable, provided there's coverage.

That's crap. Transfering 1GB manually and not 10GB once off.