HSDPA versus 3G usage, how is it billed?

[dudleygb]

Ok, so heres the senario. I buy HSDPA bundles. I get onto the internet and I find most times, the service keeps dipping to 3G. So while in 3G mode, my HSDPA bundle is being deducted. Hows that work? Or dont I understand something? Is it worth paying the extra for HSDPA when all u getting most of the time is 3G anyway? Perhaps its time to fall in line with some re pricing. make 3G and HSDPA the same price for example, just like GPRS and 3G costs the same.

 

[vodacom3g]

Ok, so heres the senario. I buy HSDPA bundles. I get onto the internet and I find most times, the service keeps dipping to 3G. So while in 3G mode, my HSDPA bundle is being deducted. Hows that work? Or dont I understand something? Is it worth paying the extra for HSDPA when all u getting most of the time is 3G anyway? Perhaps its time to fall in line with some re pricing. make 3G and HSDPA the same price for example, just like GPRS and 3G costs the same.

You always get billed at your bundle rate, irrespective of your actual connection.

We should rather sort out why your not getting a HSDPA connection. I'm a bit surprised actually. All the 3G towers do have HSDPA on them.

How do you know you've dropped to 3G? From the LED's?

What speed are you getting from http://speed.vodacom.co.za?

Do you see HSDPA speeds at times? I.e., you are actually on a HSDPA contract?

 

[Lennytiger]

I don't understand why vodacom must alter there tariffs depending on the speeds you get. MTN doesn't... all other ISPs don't so why does VC do it?

 

[vodacom3g]

I don't understand why vodacom must alter there tariffs depending on the speeds you get. MTN doesn't... all other ISPs don't so why does VC do it?

Well, we could drop the lower rates that kicked in after the discounts and put everyone back on the one rate.

An HSDPA user uses MUCH more local & international bandwidth than a GPRS one. The idea, broadly, is that you only pay for what you can use.

Remember your cap is only part of what must be provided, the SPEED at which you can use your cap is also a factor.

If the cap was the only parameter, you should be happy with 50Kb/s throughput. Even at this speed you'll use 1Gb over the period of a month.

 

[dudleygb]

You always get billed at your bundle rate, irrespective of your actual connection.

We should rather sort out why your not getting a HSDPA connection. I'm a bit surprised actually. All the 3G towers do have HSDPA on them.

How do you know you've dropped to 3G? From the LED's?

No, I run the benchmark test http://www.gam.co.za/connectivity/bandwidth.php
It indicates varying speeds of between 500-750kb/s when I test at different times.
I cant run the VC speed test, as there isnt a flash plugin for Firefox running AMD64

What speed are you getting from http://speed.vodacom.co.za?

I definitely am getting HSDPA now since running on LINUX, between 500-750kb/s, still not near the 1.8mb/s though

Do you see HSDPA speeds at times? I.e., you are actually on a HSDPA contract?

Yes, I am on a HSDPA contract.

 

[OutOfTheBox]

I also get billed extra if I connect with GPRS.

When I took out the contract last year it was upto 1.2MBs

Now I haven't a clue whats going on.

Go to their web site and do a compare on the 20 or so 3G options.

I paid for the 3G with HSDPA which had speeds upto 1.2MB's

Now mid-contract, they split it up into a two tier service ?

I am seriously considering paying of the balance of my contract, then taking them to the small claims court, to recover the money back.

 

[diabolus]

I don't understand why vodacom must alter there tariffs depending on the speeds you get. MTN doesn't... all other ISPs don't so why does VC do it?

Initially this was a good plan, as the "lower speed" tarrifs were cheaper than MTN and co. So it came off as a 'special', like the "happy-hour" they have between 5pm-8pm on voice.

Unfortunately (for Vodacom), MTN is now cheaper -across the board- than the LOWEST tariff on Vodacom. Obviously if you notice this now you'll think it's silly and kinda rip-offish as it looks like you are paying MORE for faster speed [where it's actually paying less for lower speed].

If Vodacom dropped their HSDPA tariff to match MTN and then drop the GPRS tariff BELOW that, then everyone will be singing a different tune....

**However i'm still not sure how one actually get the lower tariff bundles if all your devices are HSDPA and you actually get HSDPA. Last time i considered it, i had to give my HSDPA card back and take an old 3G card [fat chance] ....

 

[vodacom3g]

Initially this was a good plan, as the "lower speed" tarrifs were cheaper than MTN and co. So it came off as a 'special', like the "happy-hour" they have between 5pm-8pm on voice.

Unfortunately (for Vodacom), MTN is now cheaper -across the board- than the LOWEST tariff on Vodacom. Obviously if you notice this now you'll think it's silly and kinda rip-offish as it looks like you are paying MORE for faster speed [where it's actually paying less for lower speed].

If Vodacom dropped their HSDPA tariff to match MTN and then drop the GPRS tariff BELOW that, then everyone will be singing a different tune....

Yeah, we forget quickly.....

**However i'm still not sure how one actually get the lower tariff bundles if all your devices are HSDPA and you actually get HSDPA. Last time i considered it, i had to give my HSDPA card back and take an old 3G card [fat chance] ....

Initially it was based on the type of card but now we limit the speed on the network, so in a sense the 3G vs HSDPA names are not 100% correct anymore. It's rather a low speed / high speed type of product now.

 

[vodacom3g]

I also get billed extra if I connect with GPRS.

When I took out the contract last year it was upto 1.2MBs

Now I haven't a clue whats going on.

Go to their web site and do a compare on the 20 or so 3G options.

I paid for the 3G with HSDPA which had speeds upto 1.2MB's

Now mid-contract, they split it up into a two tier service ?

I am seriously considering paying of the balance of my contract, then taking them to the small claims court, to recover the money back.

In English?

 

[diabolus]

Yeah, we forget quickly.....

In the end of the day though, if i was presented with this:

MTN : 2GB @ R400 [all speeds]
Vodacom : 2GB @ R400 [high speed [network max] ]
or
2GB @ R300 [low speed [384 kbps and lower] ]

I would pick the R300 package.

So if it's ACTUALLY cheaper for Vodacom to give me lower speed then it makes sense to differentiate the tarrifs based on speed....but somewhere logic defies me how this can be?

 

[vodacom3g]

So if it's ACTUALLY cheaper for Vodacom to give me lower speed then it makes sense to differentiate the tarrifs based on speed....but somewhere logic defies me how this can be?

The key is the cost of transmission where you buy links based on speed. A HSDPA user takes much more network resource than a GPRS one.

One radio connection on HSDPA can take the space that 4 x 3G users could have used. Same with land lines.

Makes sense?

 

[diabolus]

Makes sense?

Makes sense yea, except now i wonder why this isn't then applied more aggressively . Especially if we talk about 1:4 resource ratios here. I can only assume that Vodacom have unused/spare capacity [as it wouldn't make sense to differentiate on speed if the tower is under-utilised anyway].

 

[vodacom3g]

Makes sense yea, except now i wonder why this isn't then applied more aggressively .

Was waiting for it. The final calculation is quite complex. Transmission is say 4:1, but other services (license per connection type of systems) would be 1:1.

 

[OutOfTheBox]

I am using the HSDPA service, yet when the router switches to GPRS, I get billed extra ??????

I still had 500MB left on my contract, yet the SIM was softlocked because I had used GPRS.

They billed me an extra R275 for using the GPRS network.

When I check the speed test I get 1.2MBs, so If I am using the HSDPA service, why am I getting billed extra for an inferior connection ?

Why oh Why

I spoke to a John Hendry on 155, and he says I'm getting ripped off.

IN ENGLISH

"I AM GETTING RIPPED OFF"

 

[vodacom3g]

I am using the HSDPA service, yet when the router switches to GPRS, I get billed extra ??????

I still had 500MB left on my contract, yet the SIM was softlocked because I had used GPRS.

They billed me an extra R275 for using the GPRS network.

When I check the speed test I get 1.2MBs, so If I am using the HSDPA service, why am I getting billed extra for an inferior connection ?

Why oh Why

I spoke to a John Hendry on 155, and he says I'm getting ripped off.

IN ENGLISH

"I AM GETTING RIPPED OFF"

There is no billing system capability that can bill you extra for using the GPRS network. We only know your contract type (GPRS/3G or HSDPA) and the amount of data your using. That's it.

So if you got billed an extra amount it's for something else. Maybe you went out of bundle?

Is this a normal data sim? You don't perhaps have a twin sim?

Please PM me your contact details and the 3G number and I'll check it out for you.

In which month did this happen?