allyoucaneat
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MTNer said:
I have MSISDN #s for my mobile phone for mobile calls, one for fax, one for data 2400 baud and one for data 9600 baud. How many subscribers do you count?
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I have MSISDN #s for my mobile phone for mobile calls, one for fax, one for data 2400 baud and one for data 9600 baud. How many subscribers do you count?
allyoucaneat said:
Nice one, silly reasoning but nice nonetheless
As stated the subscriber count is audited, so in answer to your question - you are a post paid user and as such would be counted as a subscriber in posession of one number. Associated Enhanced Data and Fax numbers are not included in the subscriber count as 1 user is in possession of that number (this is also true for Dual Call accounts).
allyoucaneat
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MTNer said:Nice one, silly reasoning but nice nonetheless
...
Good answer.
EDIT: Don't say MSISDN, when you don't actually mean MSISDN. I'm not a number or numbers, I'm your subscriber.
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Well I'm happy for all of you that you're all soft and cuddly today - but - since when does one call every 90 days equal an 'active' user. Why does this 'active' user own a cellphone? They own a cellphone to have a contactable number - usually for business (in the hopes of finding a job, ie, where someone can phone them) - and for strictly necessary use. They probably goto the local callbox to make calls (cheaper,) and at the rate of one call every 90 days - they may as well not own a cellphone: they are not using it to make calls. Why do they measure a period of 90 days? Because this is 'realistic'. So this great cellphone technology - always on, always in touch - is crap!!! Because the cell companies have subverted the technology in the name of profits - where phones calls are so expensive - someone only makes one call in 90 days.
Who are these people running these companies - who think this is acceptable? And how do they do their calculations - where they don't realise that cheaper calls would equal more calls and more profit?!!
(PS. MTNer - so you are going to jump into the mtn forum? Good luck - any chance you are going to be here for longer than 3 weeks?!?)
Yello, yello??
Who are these people running these companies - who think this is acceptable? And how do they do their calculations - where they don't realise that cheaper calls would equal more calls and more profit?!!
(PS. MTNer - so you are going to jump into the mtn forum? Good luck - any chance you are going to be here for longer than 3 weeks?!?)
Yello, yello??
What would you qualify an active caller as?
With postpaid, there would be no two ways about adding the owner of the number to our subscriber base count.
PAYG is another story. Not too sure if you are aware of this, MTN PAYG policies state that a number is deemed to be used or 'active' if there has been activity on the MSISDN for a period of 90 days. If not a disconection process automates and the number is SIM reassigned and repackaged. With every number that is active MTN is required to pay licencing fees so it would not be feasible for us to keep a number on the network if no activity is maintained on the number.
In its basic form, a subscriber is the user of the property of MTN i.e. the MSISDN # who receives service delivery from the use thereof after payment is received.
There are some leniencies applied to the PAYG disconnection policies which i cannot unfortunately mention here - but rest assured these are in the best interest of the user.
With postpaid, there would be no two ways about adding the owner of the number to our subscriber base count.
PAYG is another story. Not too sure if you are aware of this, MTN PAYG policies state that a number is deemed to be used or 'active' if there has been activity on the MSISDN for a period of 90 days. If not a disconection process automates and the number is SIM reassigned and repackaged. With every number that is active MTN is required to pay licencing fees so it would not be feasible for us to keep a number on the network if no activity is maintained on the number.
In its basic form, a subscriber is the user of the property of MTN i.e. the MSISDN # who receives service delivery from the use thereof after payment is received.
There are some leniencies applied to the PAYG disconnection policies which i cannot unfortunately mention here - but rest assured these are in the best interest of the user.
What would you qualify an active caller as?
I would qualify an active user someone who uses their phone everyday - more than once! How can you base numbers on sim sales - or even 90 days usage? What is wrong with this equation? You are only selling to business customers - these are the only guys that are using their phones 'actively'. So - you maximise profit from business - in the meantime driving up the inflation rate and making the whole country less competitive. And - as I'm sure you know (according to the stats) - the majority of cellphone owners are PAYG. These PAYG customers would also like to use their phones - it would be good for business - but - for the majority of users calls are too expensive - to use the phone on a daily 'active' basis - therefore bad for their business (any) - and bad for small business takeup/success in this country. Bad for the people - bad for the country - exactly what you are supposed to be servicing - instead of your myopic focus on one section of society (the smaller fat profit business one - which actually costs the whole country through inflation, excessive pricing, etc.)
With postpaid, there would be no two ways about adding the owner of the number to our subscriber base count.
You count them or you don't???!
PAYG is another story. Not too sure if you are aware of this, MTN PAYG policies state that a number is deemed to be used or 'active' if there has been activity on the MSISDN for a period of 90 days. If not a disconection process automates and the number is SIM reassigned and repackaged.
So you count them.
With every number that is active MTN is required to pay licencing fees so it would not be feasible for us to keep a number on the network if no activity is maintained on the number.
So - PAYG lack of calls actually costs you - which means you drive up the prices elsewhere. As PAYG is the majority market - surely these are the figures you should be basing any profits on - not the bloated profits from 'big' business - who have no choice anyway.
In its basic form, a subscriber is the user of the property of MTN i.e. the MSISDN # who receives service delivery from the use thereof after payment is received.
There are some leniencies applied to the PAYG disconnection policies which i cannot unfortunately mention here - but rest assured these are in the best interest of the user.
Nothing I have seen coming from any cellphone company - is in the best interests of the user. Only one thing counts - reasonable call rates!! FFS. Wish you guys would get it right.
/edit/cheap changed to reasonable (much better word) - and No! nothing coming out of here is 'reasonable' - except for those - 'who have to'.
I would qualify an active user someone who uses their phone everyday - more than once! How can you base numbers on sim sales - or even 90 days usage? What is wrong with this equation? You are only selling to business customers - these are the only guys that are using their phones 'actively'. So - you maximise profit from business - in the meantime driving up the inflation rate and making the whole country less competitive. And - as I'm sure you know (according to the stats) - the majority of cellphone owners are PAYG. These PAYG customers would also like to use their phones - it would be good for business - but - for the majority of users calls are too expensive - to use the phone on a daily 'active' basis - therefore bad for their business (any) - and bad for small business takeup/success in this country. Bad for the people - bad for the country - exactly what you are supposed to be servicing - instead of your myopic focus on one section of society (the smaller fat profit business one - which actually costs the whole country through inflation, excessive pricing, etc.)
With postpaid, there would be no two ways about adding the owner of the number to our subscriber base count.
You count them or you don't???!
PAYG is another story. Not too sure if you are aware of this, MTN PAYG policies state that a number is deemed to be used or 'active' if there has been activity on the MSISDN for a period of 90 days. If not a disconection process automates and the number is SIM reassigned and repackaged.
So you count them.
With every number that is active MTN is required to pay licencing fees so it would not be feasible for us to keep a number on the network if no activity is maintained on the number.
So - PAYG lack of calls actually costs you - which means you drive up the prices elsewhere. As PAYG is the majority market - surely these are the figures you should be basing any profits on - not the bloated profits from 'big' business - who have no choice anyway.
In its basic form, a subscriber is the user of the property of MTN i.e. the MSISDN # who receives service delivery from the use thereof after payment is received.
There are some leniencies applied to the PAYG disconnection policies which i cannot unfortunately mention here - but rest assured these are in the best interest of the user.
Nothing I have seen coming from any cellphone company - is in the best interests of the user. Only one thing counts - reasonable call rates!! FFS. Wish you guys would get it right.
/edit/cheap changed to reasonable (much better word) - and No! nothing coming out of here is 'reasonable' - except for those - 'who have to'.
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The concerns you have raised here is nothing new of course.
These have been the concerns raised by, not only the public but govenrment and the regulator.
These have all been factored into business practices we would of course soon be adopting especially with the advent of MNP.
These should change as well with TK's monopoly of fixed line having ended. We can now, ideally, setup our own fixed line backhaul networks and would hence tranfer these cost savings to the consumer.
Mobile data as well will see drastic changes in pricing with the new international undersea cable (cannot remember now - think its calles Essay) further stunting TK's monopoly with int traffic as well with thier SAT-3/SAFE Submarine Cable System.
As you would know, change is a major risk for most businesses especially big business. It might not be overnight but it will be fairly soon (you will probably be able to tell your grandkids stories of how expensive data usage used to be). I know its no consolation for the here and now but it is a step in the right direction. Not only for MTN but VC and CC and SNO and even TK as well i am sure.
These have been the concerns raised by, not only the public but govenrment and the regulator.
These have all been factored into business practices we would of course soon be adopting especially with the advent of MNP.
These should change as well with TK's monopoly of fixed line having ended. We can now, ideally, setup our own fixed line backhaul networks and would hence tranfer these cost savings to the consumer.
Mobile data as well will see drastic changes in pricing with the new international undersea cable (cannot remember now - think its calles Essay) further stunting TK's monopoly with int traffic as well with thier SAT-3/SAFE Submarine Cable System.
As you would know, change is a major risk for most businesses especially big business. It might not be overnight but it will be fairly soon (you will probably be able to tell your grandkids stories of how expensive data usage used to be). I know its no consolation for the here and now but it is a step in the right direction. Not only for MTN but VC and CC and SNO and even TK as well i am sure.
Thanks MTNer for your reasoned reply - it is appreciated.
In truth - all we ever hear is: tomorrow (things will be better.)
Personally - was brought up on the philosophy - tomorrow never comes/so do it today!!
Hope, wishes, tomorrow, become "wisps of mist blowing in the wind" - sad and not good enough - while we continue to carry the load throughout.
But - really - good news - if your post happens anytime soon.
In truth - all we ever hear is: tomorrow (things will be better.)
Personally - was brought up on the philosophy - tomorrow never comes/so do it today!!
Hope, wishes, tomorrow, become "wisps of mist blowing in the wind" - sad and not good enough - while we continue to carry the load throughout.
But - really - good news - if your post happens anytime soon.
diabolus
Executive Member
So i assume that guy wiith the 6 sims counts as 6 "active subscribers" ? I have same setup, i have 2 MTN sims , 1 Voda Prepaid Sim and 1 Voda contract. I actually do all my calling via Vodacom and pull out my MTN sims only during "end-of-the-month-salty-Megabytes" moments.
So i further assume, based on that , me [1 person] will count as 2 active subscribers on MTN and a further 2 subscribers at Vodacom as well. This opens another can of worms, because how can one then say who got more of a presence in SA if everyone got a simcard for BOTH? This imho makes the "amounts of subscribers" statistic just a load of marketing nonsense.
Agree.
But then we can't turn around and say - well, let's look at profit instead - because that is just a skewed with a soak the rich policy - that renders any real figures completely meaningless. Wish these companies would wake up to how much damage they are doing the country with their stink practices.
//crowing about their 23M subscribers//
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allyoucaneat
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IMO reporting the subscribers has little to do with marketing. I can't see people on the street making a decision on a network based on their reported subscribers.
It is a old fashion pissing contest.
The problem with over reporting subscribers for a network is that their revenue per subscriber (and more important income per subscriber!) goes down making that network a less attractive investment.
Networks are managed with a complex array of metrics. The bottom line is important, but that is not the only one one looks at.