MTN and Vodacom cut prepaid mobile data prices - save 40% on 1GB

Chris

Chris

Journalist
Joined
Mar 10, 2021
Messages
132
Reaction score
101
MTN and Vodacom cut prepaid mobile data prices - save 40% on 1GB

It has been just over a year since Vodacom and MTN reached an agreement with the Competition Commission to significantly reduce the price of mobile data in South Africa.

Vodacom agreed to drop its monthly data prices across the board by up to 40% over a two-year period, while MTN agreed to a one-time set of price reductions.

These agreements also included zero-rated services and free messaging — two free SMS messages for active Vodacom subscribers, and free data for the Ayoba messaging app for MTN subscribers.
 
Meanwhile, AirMobile gives out a free 1GB every month. That's a price reduction of 100 percent.
 
No that is not true.

Vodacom has been selling the 1GB for R99 since 2018.

Fix the article, please, or use the most recent pricing, because it was R149 then R99 and now R85.

SIMCloud :: Available Data Bundles :: Recharge Mobile Numbers :: Bulk Simcard Recharge Portal

Recharge a list of prepaid simcards using our bulk prepaid airtime and data distribution portal. You can send airtime to any cell number using data from Vodacom, Cell C, Telkom or MTN. There are no subscription fees or hidden costs associated with using simcloud.co.za
web.archive.org web.archive.org
 
I'm still baffled how a company can literally run a cable all the way from their noc into my house, digging up endless stretches of road and pavement and dealing with all the different municipalities and overall involving 3 different companies (DFA, FrogFoot, Afrihost) all taking their piece of the pie can provide a much cheaper service than a company that just needs to put a tower down 5km away, run a single connection from there to the noc and then instantly service 100's of people.

"Oh the infrastructure build costs are very high or there isn't enough spectrum, that is why the prices are so expensive". Dude, the fibre providers litereally ran thoushands of cables into every single home in my area and are able to provide a cheaper service than you! Maybe do an internal audit on your procurement guy and make sure he isn't skimming money off the top for his cronies.
 
supersunbird said:
I don't know about, when I bought it over USSD for someone else or via internet banking it was R149 in 2019 still.
Click to expand...
I re-read the article now, the heading is misleading as it implies a 40% drop from the previous price which is R99 and not R140, only later in the article it says 40% drop over two years.

And correct R99 for USSD since 2020, but some SPs had the R99 pricing since 2018.
 
SilverCode said:
I'm still baffled how a company can literally run a cable all the way from their noc into my house, digging up endless stretches of road and pavement and dealing with all the different municipalities and overall involving 3 different companies (DFA, FrogFoot, Afrihost) all taking their piece of the pie can provide a much cheaper service than a company that just needs to put a tower down 5km away, run a single connection from there to the noc and then instantly service 100's of people.

"Oh the infrastructure build costs are very high or there isn't enough spectrum, that is why the prices are so expensive". Dude, the fibre providers litereally ran thoushands of cables into every single home in my area and are able to provide a cheaper service than you! Maybe do an internal audit on your procurement guy and make sure he isn't skimming money off the top for his cronies.
Click to expand...

Spectrum spectrum spectrum. Fibre doesn't need it at all, also doesn't seem to have to deal with battery tower theft that much. Why has RAIN gone to the dogs?
 
supersunbird said:
I don't know about that, when I bought it over USSD for someone else or via internet banking it was R149 in 2019 still.
Click to expand...
Yup the regular price was R149 for years. You had to jump through hoops to get a bit of discount.

supersunbird said:
Spectrum spectrum spectrum. Fibre doesn't need it at all, also doesn't seem to have to deal with battery tower theft that much. Why has RAIN gone to the dogs?
Click to expand...
Poor management and running off someone else's towers. Nothing else.
 
"It has been just over a year since Vodacom and MTN reached an agreement with the Competition Commission to significantly reduce the price of mobile data in South Africa."

Lmao only because they had to........not because they wanted to.
 
supersunbird said:
Spectrum spectrum spectrum. Fibre doesn't need it at all, also doesn't seem to have to deal with battery tower theft that much. Why has RAIN gone to the dogs?
Click to expand...
Spectrum is always the scapegoat, but my understanding is they want more spectrum so they can have more bandwidth/users per tower. They could just as well drop the power of a tower servicing 1000 people, and install a 2nd one so they each serve 500 people. Instead they blame the lack of spectrum for not being able to properly service 1000 people on a single tower ... and somehow that causes the astronomical prices.

It also doesn't have bearings on the operational costs of the service other than capitalistic greed. Maintaining a single tower with a single fibre cable is a hell of a lot cheaper than 1000 cables running into homes.

I have yet to see a full explanation from any of the cellphone operators as to why adding additional spectrum will reduce prices, other than preventing them from having to roll out additional infrastructure.
 
supersunbird said:
Spectrum spectrum spectrum. Fibre doesn't need it at all, also doesn't seem to have to deal with battery tower theft that much. Why has RAIN gone to the dogs?
Click to expand...
Because they've rented all their spectrum spectrum spectrum to Vodacom.
 
supersunbird said:
No, because they are congested due to their cheap pricing and limited amount of spectrum.
Click to expand...
Has that much changed since 2019?
Screen Shot 2021-04-18 at 09.21.52.png
mybroadband.co.za

Spectrum breakdown – Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, Cell C, and Rain

Spectrum is a tremendous asset to mobile operators – here is how much spectrum each operator has in South Africa.
mybroadband.co.za mybroadband.co.za

We know Vodacom is using Rain's spectrum still.
www.iol.co.za

Telkom cries foul over Rain, Vodacom spectrum deal

Telkom has approached the Competition Tribunal, claiming Vodacom’s spectrum agreement with Rain constituted a merger
www.iol.co.za www.iol.co.za
 
  • Like
Reactions: Swa
bwana said:
Has that much changed since 2019?
View attachment 1054231
mybroadband.co.za

Spectrum breakdown – Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, Cell C, and Rain

Spectrum is a tremendous asset to mobile operators – here is how much spectrum each operator has in South Africa.
mybroadband.co.za mybroadband.co.za

We know Vodacom is using Rain's spectrum still.
www.iol.co.za

Telkom cries foul over Rain, Vodacom spectrum deal

Telkom has approached the Competition Tribunal, claiming Vodacom’s spectrum agreement with Rain constituted a merger
www.iol.co.za www.iol.co.za
Click to expand...

That just shows how much more limited the other 3 are compared to rain. If they try rain pricing it will be spectacularly bad for their networks.
 
SilverCode said:
I have yet to see a full explanation from any of the cellphone operators as to why adding additional spectrum will reduce prices, other than preventing them from having to roll out additional infrastructure.
Click to expand...
Read that sentence again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter