MTN 3G service rather pathetic

N

NotHappy

New Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2006
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
I'm posting this as a warning/free advice to any 3G wannabee's.

I took out a 3G contract with MTN in Feb this year on top of my already existing MTN cell phone contract. At the time I did a fair amount of investigation and read about HSDPA that was on the cards at the time. When enquiring at various MTN outlets about this "new" technology (daunting task since almost no one at any of the MTN outlets know anything data technology) I eventually got the answer that from someone at MTN itself, that it will not be avialable until much later. Because of the fact that I did want to wait that long I opted the normal 3G card, after all, at 300+ kbps it would be faster than my 128 k ISDN line. Much to my discussed I then found out that the new card was released a month later. And then to top it all I found out that Vodacom replaced their old cards with new cards free of charge.....MTN just wasn't interested in the same service.

Despite the fact that I stay in a fully covered area (acording to MTN) I am now getting a wopping 4kbps avarage download speed, yes this is no typo 4!!!. I've handed my card in at a MTN outlet to be send in to MTN for testing about a week and a half ago, after not hearing anything from them I decided to phone them, since I need the card. I was totaly blown away when I was told that MTN (not the branch but MTN) does not have the abillity to test the card (it took them a week and a half to figure that out) and that it will have to be sent away and it will now take 4-6 weeks before I can expect to get it back. In the mean time I am expected to happily pay away on my contract for something that I cannot use since they cannot provide me with a temp in the mean time.

I have no other way to describe this service than absolutely pathetic.

Since I need the card by the weekend I am now forced to take out another contract, and most definately not with MTN again.
 
What irritates me is the new HSDPA adverts with the “everywhere you go” slogan. :mad:

It makes me :sick:
 
NotHappy said:
I'm posting this as a warning/free advice to any 3G wannabee's.

I took out a 3G contract with MTN in Feb this year on top of my already existing MTN cell phone contract. At the time I did a fair amount of investigation and read about HSDPA that was on the cards at the time. When enquiring at various MTN outlets about this "new" technology (daunting task since almost no one at any of the MTN outlets know anything data technology) I eventually got the answer that from someone at MTN itself, that it will not be avialable until much later. Because of the fact that I did want to wait that long I opted the normal 3G card, after all, at 300+ kbps it would be faster than my 128 k ISDN line. Much to my discussed I then found out that the new card was released a month later. And then to top it all I found out that Vodacom replaced their old cards with new cards free of charge.....MTN just wasn't interested in the same service.

Despite the fact that I stay in a fully covered area (acording to MTN) I am now getting a wopping 4kbps avarage download speed, yes this is no typo 4!!!. I've handed my card in at a MTN outlet to be send in to MTN for testing about a week and a half ago, after not hearing anything from them I decided to phone them, since I need the card. I was totaly blown away when I was told that MTN (not the branch but MTN) does not have the abillity to test the card (it took them a week and a half to figure that out) and that it will have to be sent away and it will now take 4-6 weeks before I can expect to get it back. In the mean time I am expected to happily pay away on my contract for something that I cannot use since they cannot provide me with a temp in the mean time.

I have no other way to describe this service than absolutely pathetic.

Since I need the card by the weekend I am now forced to take out another contract, and most definately not with MTN again.
Click to expand...

Good day,

Could you please PM me your details I'll get someone on this ASAP

MTNDD
 
Do you actualy have 3G coverage? Sounds like GPRS speeds, which is a typical problem with MTN since they have such a small 3G footprint.
 
Good day,

I've asked someone to get hold of you ASAP

Please advise if you get any joy?

Thanks MTNDD
 
My 3G card was replaced with the same type (only 3G no HSDPA) by MTN (thanks for that) but not in time for me to use it, it took a driver 3 days to drive from JHB to Centurion to bring the new card, I'm sure he had his reasons.

I did not see a major increase in speed. I came to the conclusion that even though MTN indicated that the area that I am living in is fully covered (not even close to borderline), it is not. I then decided to get an aerial and since no aerial was supplied and none was available to buy at any one of the MTN shops that I went to, I tried my luck in a Vodacom shop (on the KZN South Coast) and they gave me an aerial for free (I didn't mention it was for a MTN card though) no questions asked. Still I had no joy for a faster connection. I decided to give the MTN datacard up as a bad job.

I used a colleague's Vodacom HSDPA card for a day or two to test and the ispeed was significantly beter than the MTN card even though my area was indicated as being borderline on the Vodacom coverage map.

I have now taken out a Vodacom 3G/HSDPA contract. I will end my MTN contract as soon as it expires (in just over a year), in the mean time I'll use my free minutes to recover some of the cost until then.
 
NotHappy said:
My 3G card was replaced with the same type (only 3G no HSDPA) by MTN (thanks for that) but not in time for me to use it, it took a driver 3 days to drive from JHB to Centurion to bring the new card, I'm sure he had his reasons.

I did not see a major increase in speed. I came to the conclusion that even though MTN indicated that the area that I am living in is fully covered (not even close to borderline), it is not. I then decided to get an aerial and since no aerial was supplied and none was available to buy at any one of the MTN shops that I went to, I tried my luck in a Vodacom shop (on the KZN South Coast) and they gave me an aerial for free (I didn't mention it was for a MTN card though) no questions asked. Still I had no joy for a faster connection. I decided to give the MTN datacard up as a bad job.

I used a colleague's Vodacom HSDPA card for a day or two to test and the ispeed was significantly beter than the MTN card even though my area was indicated as being borderline on the Vodacom coverage map.

I have now taken out a Vodacom 3G/HSDPA contract. I will end my MTN contract as soon as it expires (in just over a year), in the mean time I'll use my free minutes to recover some of the cost until then.
Click to expand...

@NotHappy

Why don’t you log a coverage query to [email protected] see if they can better the experience for you?

MTNDD
 
Thanks MTNDD, I think I speek for a lot of people when I say that we apprecite
your effort in trying to solve our problems, but the reality is that we get the feeling we are f..ting against a huricane.
I've been a loyal MTN cellphone subscriber for about 6 years now and I've had no compliants in that department (apart from a couple of "network busy" errors lately, which I hope is not a sign of things to come), but I really cannot speak up for MTN as far as data/3G services are concerned. The service from the word go was really not on par with what some of the other providers had to offer.
My intention is not to tell MTN how to run their business, but MTN have spend and lost a lot of money on cell phone tenders in other countries (which is good in the sence that good business should grow), maybe they should rather focus on getting things in SA right first as they are losing loyal customers.
I use my data connection almost exclusively for work purposes and therefore need my connection speed to be high enough so that I can actually perform my duties (in most cases emergencies) and 4-6kbs just wasn't it.

I've already signed up with Vodacom and so far so good.
 
NotHappy said:
Thanks MTNDD, I think I speek for a lot of people when I say that we apprecite
your effort in trying to solve our problems, but the reality is that we get the feeling we are f..ting against a huricane.
I've been a loyal MTN cellphone subscriber for about 6 years now and I've had no compliants in that department (apart from a couple of "network busy" errors lately, which I hope is not a sign of things to come), but I really cannot speak up for MTN as far as data/3G services are concerned. The service from the word go was really not on par with what some of the other providers had to offer.
My intention is not to tell MTN how to run their business, but MTN have spend and lost a lot of money on cell phone tenders in other countries (which is good in the sence that good business should grow), maybe they should rather focus on getting things in SA right first as they are losing loyal customers.
I use my data connection almost exclusively for work purposes and therefore need my connection speed to be high enough so that I can actually perform my duties (in most cases emergencies) and 4-6kbs just wasn't it.

I've already signed up with Vodacom and so far so good.
Click to expand...
What you are describing is exactly what I have been experiencing with VODACOM, so don't be disillusioned and think they don't have problems.
I am actually on my way out of Vodacom...
 
NotHappy said:
Thanks MTNDD, I think I speek for a lot of people when I say that we apprecite
your effort in trying to solve our problems, but the reality is that we get the feeling we are f..ting against a huricane.
I've been a loyal MTN cellphone subscriber for about 6 years now and I've had no compliants in that department (apart from a couple of "network busy" errors lately, which I hope is not a sign of things to come), but I really cannot speak up for MTN as far as data/3G services are concerned. The service from the word go was really not on par with what some of the other providers had to offer.
My intention is not to tell MTN how to run their business, but MTN have spend and lost a lot of money on cell phone tenders in other countries (which is good in the sence that good business should grow), maybe they should rather focus on getting things in SA right first as they are losing loyal customers.
I use my data connection almost exclusively for work purposes and therefore need my connection speed to be high enough so that I can actually perform my duties (in most cases emergencies) and 4-6kbs just wasn't it.

I've already signed up with Vodacom and so far so good.
Click to expand...

I must admit I'm very sorry to lose you as a customer, it's a real pity that we have to lost client's due to the above I wish there was something I could do to keep you

This has been given over to our new MD and let's see maybe just maybe something will be done

MTNDD
 
MTN_Data_Dude said:
I must admit I'm very sorry to lose you as a customer, it's a real pity that we have to lost client's due to the above I wish there was something I could do to keep you

This has been given over to our new MD and let's see maybe just maybe something will be done

MTNDD
Click to expand...

your reach extends that far nowadays? nice one data dude! so, hows bout that n91 loan phone ive been hinting on for soooo looooong??:D
 
snakepit said:
your reach extends that far nowadays? nice one data dude! so, hows bout that n91 loan phone ive been hinting on for soooo looooong??:D
Click to expand...

@snakepit

You know I emailed J to try and get it for you but no luck sorry snakepit

MTNDD
 
MTN has 3G/HSDPA coverage in Cape Town?? Ha Ha! thats a good one! Hello MTN is someone listening?? We don t all live/work in the city bowl!!! or the eastern end of Canal walk or in the arrivals hall at Cape Town International airport!!! there is no other coverage....your service is un usable!!! I have to use a Vodacom prepaid sim in my MTN 3G/HSDPA data card...to get connected!!wake UP!!! and improve your PATHETIC coverage..get South Africa right FIRST before worrying about the rest of Africa and the Middle East!!!!
 
Traveller said:
MTN has 3G/HSDPA coverage in Cape Town?? Ha Ha! thats a good one! Hello MTN is someone listening?? We don t all live/work in the city bowl!!! or the eastern end of Canal walk or in the arrivals hall at Cape Town International airport!!! there is no other coverage....your service is un usable!!! I have to use a Vodacom prepaid sim in my MTN 3G/HSDPA data card...to get connected!!wake UP!!! and improve your PATHETIC coverage..get South Africa right FIRST before worrying about the rest of Africa and the Middle East!!!!
Click to expand...

such an angry man :eek:
Im sorry you are inconvenienced currently, but you have to understand that we target high usage areas first to ensure that the bulk of the profit continues to be highly profitable, hence areas recieve priority numbers. By end February our latest rollout will have been finalised, i hope we end up covering your area too.:)
 
My complaints I am glad to say have actually fallen on the right ears as I have a data card and dont get 3G signal so MTN is giving me the out door antenna so I can get some 3G coverage.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X