MTN Home Internet Downgrade

[EasternGamer]

Hello

Situation
I just got an email that MTN has unilaterally decided that my plan would be downgraded because of “high data usage” when I’m using only half the FUP. Even when I use it, half the time I don’t even use it at maximum speed. For reference, I’m on the Home Infinite plan, which has 1.5TB FUP, and up to 500 Mbps speeds. I normally can get close to 300Mbps but sometimes it’s limit it to 100Mbps because it passes through Cloudflare WARP. I also have always paid them on time, so it wasn’t a financial reasons.

My choices are cancel the subscription or be satisfied with the downgrade. Kinda absolutely ridiculous. I was paying for it, and didn’t even get close to exceeding the FUP. I confirmed all this with MTN directly to just double check it wasn’t some strange spam email.

Discussion
I’m wondering if anyone else has had this experience, and what you did. My current plan is to cancel the subscription and then immediately redo the subscription. But I feel like they’ll pull exactly what they did here, and it’ll cost me a whole extra month because of how the subscription works.

As a note, there is no fiber in the area, and I’m quite satisfied with the current service in terms of latency because it connects to Cape Town. I can move to other providers (Supersonic, Vodacom, etc.), but their service usually has significantly more latency because it routes to Johannesburg and significantly less speed.

Here is the exact content of the email below:

 

[Crowley]

Vote with your wallet. Move to Afrihost or CISP and say good bye to these petty rules.

 

[Crowley]

I can move to other providers (Supersonic, Vodacom, etc.)

Supersonic is MTN and stay away from Vodacom for fibre.

Which games do you play and what is your latency on MTN?

 

[EasternGamer]

Supersonic is MTN and stay away from Vodacom for fibre.

Which games do you play and what is your latency on MTN?

Generally games with servers in the EU, often with people from the EU. My latency on MTN is around 180-190ms to the UK/some parts of the EU.

Supersonic, which routes to Johannesburg, I get like 220ms if I’m lucky.

Vote with your wallet. Move to Afrihost or CISP and say good bye to these petty rules.

I’ve not heard of CISP, but I’m worried Afrihost (who uses MTN’s network) will route to Johannesburg. Do you know if this is the case? The “simple” way to check is if you’re on their network to check what your IP is and its location. If the location is in Johannesburg, it means it routes there first. However, this is only the case on the mobile side.

 

[EasternGamer]

My main wants:

• 5G option (I literally have a huge cell tower like 30 meters from me)
• Sub R1000

My needs:

• At least 100 Mbps download (normally can be streaming two 4K Netflix shows or 4K YouTube or downloading large games)
• Routes to Cape Town
• At the very minimum, 1TB FUP or better

I see two paths forward, both ultimately use MTN:
- Afrihost 5G Pure

• 1TB FUP, 2 Mbps thereafter
• Same or similar speeds to MTN directly because it is using MTN’s network
• R900/month
• Better customer experience, very little chance I will be randomly downgraded out of the blue
• No guarantee that it will route to Cape Town

- MTN Home Infinite (under different name, ID and bank account)

• 1.5TB FUP, 2 Mbps thereafter
• Same speeds as I currently get
• R999/month
• Terrible Management system for subscription.
• No guarantee that they will not downgrade it again
• New router (might be better?)
• Disney+ subscription (?)
• Will route to Cape Town

Between the pros and cons, I would without hesitation go with Afrihost if not for the 1TB FUP. I have in the past gone beyond 1TB and it substantially limits certain activities like downloading large games, which these days are only getting bigger.

If anyone has any other ideas, let me know. 1TB FUP is not a dealbreaker. What would be is if it routes to Johannesburg.

 

[DTBA]

Maybe

My main wants:

• 5G option (I literally have a huge cell tower like 30 meters from me)
• Sub R1000

My needs:

• At least 100 Mbps download (normally can be streaming two 4K Netflix shows or 4K YouTube or downloading large games)
• Routes to Cape Town
• At the very minimum, 1TB FUP or better

I see two paths forward, both ultimately use MTN:
- Afrihost 5G Pure

• 1TB FUP, 2 Mbps thereafter
• Same or similar speeds to MTN directly because it is using MTN’s network
• R900/month
• Better customer experience, very little chance I will be randomly downgraded out of the blue
• No guarantee that it will route to Cape Town

- MTN Home Infinite (under different name, ID and bank account)

• 1.5TB FUP, 2 Mbps thereafter
• Same speeds as I currently get
• R999/month
• Terrible Management system for subscription.
• No guarantee that they will not downgrade it again
• New router (might be better?)
• Disney+ subscription (?)
• Will route to Cape Town

Between the pros and cons, I would without hesitation go with Afrihost if not for the 1TB FUP. I have in the past gone beyond 1TB and it substantially limits certain activities like downloading large games, which these days are only getting bigger.

If anyone has any other ideas, let me know. 1TB FUP is not a dealbreaker. What would be is if it routes to Johannesburg.

Is rain a now go in your area? Can't promise they won't be **** but you might be able to test it?

 

[EasternGamer]

After switching to Afrihost, I’ve gotten everything I as looking for. I get 5G, up to almost 400 Mbps downloads.
I must say, in every way, their service is better. I’m still struggling to cancel my cancel anytime” internet subscription with MTN.