LTE Confusion

[Rooi_Willie]

Hey guys.

So I have a guesthouse and would like to provide internet for clients. Hardware setup is standing buy and ready to issue vouchers for managed use by clients. The idea is to offer 500mb per day per room free and allow clients to purchase additional data per 100mb in order to recover costs.

The issue I have is what ISP to use. I use local WIFI isp's but where my property is situated the isn't any coverage. It seems to me that an LTE option might be the easiest (no installation costs etc) but I have never used an LTE provider so I'm pretty clueless.

As for usage I'm calculating about 150GB to 200GB per month. Uncapped would be excellent as I wouldn't have to manage the data/top ups but it's not a deal breaker.

I've read throught some posts on the forum and browsed some ISP's. Currently the following looks attractive :

• Telkom Uncapped
  • 150GB @ 10mb/s then 50GB @ 4mb/s then 2mb/s uncapped
  • Includes wifi router
  • R899x24months
• Cell C LTE-A
  • 200GB
  • Sim only
  • R789x24months

Is there any other viable options for me?

Thanks in advance for the assistance!

 

[StoneCold]

Hey guys.

So I have a guesthouse and would like to provide internet for clients. Hardware setup is standing buy and ready to issue vouchers for managed use by clients. The idea is to offer 500mb per day per room free and allow clients to purchase additional data per 100mb in order to recover costs.

The issue I have is what ISP to use. I use local WIFI isp's but where my property is situated the isn't any coverage. It seems to me that an LTE option might be the easiest (no installation costs etc) but I have never used an LTE provider so I'm pretty clueless.

As for usage I'm calculating about 150GB to 200GB per month. Uncapped would be excellent as I wouldn't have to manage the data/top ups but it's not a deal breaker.

I've read throught some posts on the forum and browsed some ISP's. Currently the following looks attractive :

• Telkom Uncapped
  • 150GB @ 10mb/s then 50GB @ 4mb/s then 2mb/s uncapped
  • Includes wifi router
  • R899x24months
• Cell C LTE-A
  • 200GB
  • Sim only
  • R789x24months

Is there any other viable options for me?

Thanks in advance for the assistance!

Take a look at Rain mobile as well for LTE purposes. For R250 a month, you can have uncapped for 19 hours a day (from 11:00pm to 6pm the following day). For the peak hours of 6pm to 11pm, you can always then just load some GBs to cover those hours. Rain mobile does however charge R50 for 1GB, but if you limit your customers to 500mb a day (depending on how many rooms you have), if you load 10GB for R500 it can work out quite nice I'd say

Just make sure you have coverage for Rain in your area, although a lot of people live outside Rain coverage areas and have great success using the service as well. At R50 for the sim, you really don't have anything to lose.

 

[NeonNinja]

^ wouldn't they have something in their TC to disallow that?

 

[StoneCold]

^ wouldn't they have something in their TC to disallow that?

Don't know, and is Rain even going to care about how the OP uses the product? It's not as if he is going to abuse it by downloading TBs of data. I was just pointing this out as an option for the OP if he chooses to use it, it's up to him

 

[ginggs]

The idea is to offer 500mb per day per room free and allow clients to purchase additional data per 100mb in order to recover costs.

Do you really want to be in the business of selling 100MB data bundles? Rather work it into the cost of the room.

 

[PsyWulf]

Regarding the admin,Bolt-on speed-limited data in larger bundles,250-1gig+

Have you checked coverage maps,adsl/fibre availability?

 

[kianm]

Do you really want to be in the business of selling 100MB data bundles? Rather work it into the cost of the room.

Agree with this, less headaches management of the portal / vouchers etc

 

[Rooi_Willie]

Regarding the admin,Bolt-on speed-limited data in larger bundles,250-1gig+

Have you checked coverage maps,adsl/fibre availability?

Doubtful if fiber will be available in that specific area. Most "high end" areas got fiber recently.

 

[Rooi_Willie]

Don't know, and is Rain even going to care about how the OP uses the product? It's not as if he is going to abuse it by downloading TBs of data. I was just pointing this out as an option for the OP if he chooses to use it, it's up to him

I agree, end result will still be the same to the service provider

 

[Rooi_Willie]

Agree with this, less headaches management of the portal / vouchers etc

The biggest issue will be abuse by clients. Some stay for a month on end and not just a night or two. Some lounge around all day. If they end up streaming movies and downloading it could ruin my cap

 

[inanabhay]

Rain Mobile