Megaupload takedown improving SA BIS speeds?

[rpm]

Megaupload takedown improving SA BIS speeds?

Users are reporting improved speeds on BlackBerry Internet Service and wonder whether it is related to Megaupload being taken down

 

[Haldex]

Nomsa Thusi, head of corporate communications at Vodacom, explained that the average data consumption rate on their network is increasing and that any increase in speeds was purely coincidental.

Really?
Thats strange considering theres a thread here about upgrading the platform early Feb.
Something definitely changed, unless my other theory is correct, BB users migrating to better handsets.

 

[mouks]

So you are trying to convince me taking down Megaupload was a good thing? Sharing sites are being taken down and if this continues all those fast SA BIS speeds will mean nothing with an Empty Internet.

 

[Creag]

BB users migrating to better handsets.

Definitely seems to be BB users moving to other smartphones. Seen in some of the threads.

 

[Mr.CookieMonster]

Maybe its because some people have moved to using better smartphones along the Android OS or iOS devices.

 

[Ry4n]

I have mates that pull over 150gig in a single month over BIS.
In my opinion that shouldn't be allowed R50 or whatever it is for 150gig and all the other users on the network must suffer?
BIS isnt for downloading huge files - its for browsing and Email.
If you want to download get Uncapped ADSL.

 

[JStrike]

So you are trying to convince me taking down Megaupload was a good thing? Sharing sites are being taken down and if this continues all those fast SA BIS speeds will mean nothing with an Empty Internet.

Yeah, if all sites who's main purpose is to facilitate piracy get taken down, there's nothing left on the internet....sure

 

[burn]

These users typically download movies and TV series from torrent sites, said Vodacom CEO Pieter Uys, adding that this practice was outside the terms and conditions of BIS.

1) Megaupload was http and 2) browsing a torrent site and downloading the .torrent is the same as browsing any other site (what happens after that is against the T&C's).

 

[mouks]

Piracy is not always a bad thing, Piracy forces company's to lower software prices to boost sales, but with nothing forcing a company to lower their prices what stopping them from raising it, same goes for original Blu-Ray's, DVD and Audio CD's.

Just my 2c

 

[RaptorSA]

How do people actually accomplish this?
Do they physically download massive files on a memory card on the phone itself, or do they somehow bypass a tether check and hook it up to the PC then download from there?

 

[hungrybeaver]

Piracy is not always a bad thing, Piracy forces company's to lower software prices to boost sales, but with nothing forcing a company to lower their prices what stopping them from raising it, same goes for original Blu-Ray's, DVD and Audio CD's.

Just my 2c

If only that were true for the entertainment industry. Prices of music CD's are still as high as ever.

How do people actually accomplish this?
Do they physically download massive files on a memory card on the phone itself, or do they somehow bypass a tether check and hook it up to the PC then download from there?

Yeah they download onto the handsets SD card. I don't think the files are all that massive. An episode that would usually be 350mb is about 75mb from these sites. AFAIK if you tether your BB you cannot use BIS.

 

[NeonNinja]

I have mates that pull over 150gig in a single month over BIS.
In my opinion that shouldn't be allowed R50 or whatever it is for 150gig and all the other users on the network must suffer?
BIS isnt for downloading huge files - its for browsing and Email.
If you want to download get Uncapped ADSL.

Why should I pay R500 if I can get the service for 10 times less the price?

 

[RaptorSA]

AFAIK if you tether your BB you cannot use BIS.

Agreed. But common sense brings me to the probable conclusion that there must be a ton a ways to bypass this by now.
Oh well, not a BB user myself but I must admit that it's a bit of a dick move to use the service in such a way.

 

[memyselfandi]

Definitely seems to be BB users moving to other smartphones. Seen in some of the threads.

+1. Why have a 3G phone on BIS running dial up speed? Van not wait to get my new Galaxy in 2 weeks.

 

[Ry4n]

Why should I pay R500 if I can get the service for 10 times less the price?

Because you're a cheapskate - and just because you cannot afford to get a decent internet line you decide to drop the service levels for other just so you can download on your BB.

Have you ever heard the saying you get what you paid for?

It’s people like you paying R50 a month that complain that the service is slow. It will remain slow until they do something about it.
Are you really that dense that you think BIS is meant for torrents and the like?

P.S I can go outside and shoot someone in the head... but that doesn't mean I going to?

 

[Sodan]

Hmm, sensationalizing the article by turning the title into a contentious question. Some may think that is smart, but I have lost a little more respect for you as a journalist.

You can ask the question in the title if the answer is unknown. But if you're actually giving the answer at the end of the article, then what you did is nothing more than cheap sensationalism. -10 points for that.

 

[TheBossMan]

Stupid blackberry users... I'm missing megaupload it's all your faulty..

Must be some dumb blackberry users that came up with this theory.. It's obvious that more and more people are moving from blackbeery junk to proper smartphones so less users to hog up the bis network....

 

[FlatspinZA]

So you are trying to convince me taking down Megaupload was a good thing? Sharing sites are being taken down and if this continues all those fast SA BIS speeds will mean nothing with an Empty Internet.

MegaUpload Users Try to Get Their Files Back

I have mates that pull over 150gig in a single month over BIS.
In my opinion that shouldn't be allowed R50 or whatever it is for 150gig and all the other users on the network must suffer?
BIS isnt for downloading huge files - its for browsing and Email.
If you want to download get Uncapped ADSL.

How do people actually accomplish this?
Do they physically download massive files on a memory card on the phone itself, or do they somehow bypass a tether check and hook it up to the PC then download from there?

I'd like to know - I thought I was safe when I disabled 'switch to carrier network for streaming data' (or something), then got whacked with a bill 3 times my normal bill.

 

[LFX]

that option only disables the notification prior to switching hahahaha

 

[jannievanzyl]

Must be some dumb blackberry users that came up with this theory.. It's obvious that more and more people are moving from blackbeery junk to proper smartphones so less users to hog up the bis network....

100% wrong. We easily add more BIS users in 3 months that the total Android or IOS user base to date.

Latest VC stats:

Apple devices: 300 000
Android devices: 300 000
Blackberry devices: 2 000 000

And to answer the OP. MegaUpload's dissapearance had ziltch to do with the performance improvements you saw over the last few days. That was purely down to network engineering. One or two heavy abusers might be bitching, but that's life.