New LTE AUP from September 2016

[HapticSimian]

I still don't get why seedboxes are the main culprit. Is it not just streaming? I don't use them but surely if something is downloaded and you stream it to your device like a roku through a seedbox client; it's still streaming? Or am I missing something?

If you're able to, keep an eye on your data rate when streaming as opposed to when downloading something through a multi-threaded download or torrent. A stream bursts: your pc grabs the first chunk and then stops data transfer while that chunk is playing, only grabbing the next chunk when the previous is almost done playing. A torrent or multi-thread download, however, will consume all the bandwidth it is able to until it completes.

Why does it matter? Because any consumer level internet connection is contended, meaning that you share your pipeline with five or ten or however many other people. With normal browsing, streaming and such that doesn't really affect anyone much, because multiple people won't be demanding full data rate at the same time. But one person slamming a well seeded torrent on that contended pipeline severely curtails the bandwidth available for everyone else, effectively hogging a resource shared by others. This is why there tends to be some limit imposed on p2p traffic, and that's fine. Seedboxes, in turn, effectively lets you circumvent that p2p limit by downloading your torrent to an intermediate destination before you grab it as a normal download.

 

[Noob-Noob]

I assume cost is also a factor. Data from a CDN is probably cheaper, and yes if cached locally it will much cheaper.

Yeah definitely cheaper, maybe even free if they are telkom hosted.

But i dont think people p2p'ing is the problem nowadays, since streaming who is really still torrenting?, yeah you get a few people, but all of my friends (who were all heavy pirates) have all moved to streaming only. Once in a blue moon if i cant find something i will quickly download it, but my P2P has changed from +- 150gb pm to less than 5gb per month.
Xbox one also takes a huge chuck of data, specially if you buy games online. We have 2 xbox's, 1 Ps4, 2 computers, 4 cellphones, 3 streaming boxes, and thats just our household, Telkom should not really be surprised people using +- 300gb per month as an average. Its the Data age.

 

[Noob-Noob]

I assume cost is also a factor. Data from a CDN is probably cheaper, and yes if cached locally it will much cheaper.

Yeah definitely cheaper, maybe even free if they are telkom hosted.

But i dont think people p2p'ing is the problem nowadays, since streaming who is really still torrenting?, yeah you get a few people, but all of my friends (who were all heavy pirates) have all moved to streaming only. Once in a blue moon if i cant find something i will quickly download it, but my P2P has changed from +- 150gb pm to less than 5gb per month.
Xbox one also takes a huge chuck of data, specially if you buy games online. We have 2 xbox's, 1 Ps4, 2 computers, 4 cellphones, 3 streaming boxes, and thats just our household, Telkom should not really be surprised people using +- 300gb per month as an average. Its the Data age.

 

[Saba'a]

Yeah definitely cheaper, maybe even free if they are telkom hosted.

But i dont think people p2p'ing is the problem nowadays, since streaming who is really still torrenting?, yeah you get a few people, but all of my friends (who were all heavy pirates) have all moved to streaming only. Once in a blue moon if i cant find something i will quickly download it, but my P2P has changed from +- 150gb pm to less than 5gb per month.
Xbox one also takes a huge chuck of data, specially if you buy games online. We have 2 xbox's, 1 Ps4, 2 computers, 4 cellphones, 3 streaming boxes, and thats just our household, Telkom should not really be surprised people using +- 300gb per month as an average. Its the Data age.

Exactly p2p not issue. Telkom simply got shocked by the usage of netflix youtube. Suspect they also didnt realise that fast speeds mean more data due to 4k or hd. Probably planned one netflux and youtube stream at SD not HD quality?

 

[Noob-Noob]

Exactly p2p not issue. Telkom simply got shocked by the usage of netflix youtube. Suspect they also didnt realise that fast speeds mean more data due to 4k or hd. Probably planned one netflux and youtube stream at SD not HD quality?

Definitely streaming if you ask me. I stream in SD mostely because of my *** speeds, but still, when people say 300GB a month is alot, they should take into consideration just how big some streaming vids can be specially when there are 4 - 5 people in a household, everyone wanting to watch a different show/movie. Then there are windows updates, phone and app updates, each xbox game between 3 - 40 gbs, friends coming over and updating connecting their devices. Steam and Gog game download etc.

If Telkom has issues, change the FUP and block p2p completely, or throttle it to 128k permanently. But the other services they cant throttle, its basic internet needs.

 

[Gaz{M}]

I also feel like you shouldn't complain when a limited wireless connection is slow when 100's of people use it simultaneously and then also expect it to be completely uncapped for R599.

I'm paying R499 for 30GB a month - why should I be paying 10's of times more per GB than the uncapped people on my tower?

 

[Saba'a]

Because you can p2p full speed while uncapped limited to 50gb and have to accept unstable speeds.

 

[Noob-Noob]

I also feel like you shouldn't complain when a limited wireless connection is slow when 100's of people use it simultaneously and then also expect it to be completely uncapped for R599.

I'm paying R499 for 30GB a month - why should I be paying 10's of times more per GB than the uncapped people on my tower?

Because they advertised it like that, we signed up for it because of what they advertised?, If they don't have the infrastructure to run something, they should not sell given product and put us in a 24 month contract, then change the T&C's not even halfway through

Sorry to hear about your 30gb R499 deal :crylaugh:

 

[Saba'a]

Its also called market forces. Ask telkom mobile older contract users vs Freeme users.

 

[8tpg88]

I went into Telkom mobile store at lakeside Benoni to sign up for a contract. I've been testing on pre paid for for a month. Get about 30 to 40 mbs down with the highest I've got of 70 Mbs in 1 speed test. I was going to sign up for uncapped which was available until the agent told me that uncapped will be throttled. She told me for every 10 gbs you use, the speed will be throttled by 10 Mbs starting at 150 Mbs. I went with the smart wireless 100 gb with the entertainment VAS bolt on instead. More expensive but could get it on month to month with no throttling

 

[Saba'a]

I went into Telkom mobile store at lakeside Benoni to sign up for a contract. I've been testing on pre paid for for a month. Get about 30 to 40 mbs down with the highest I've got of 70 Mbs in 1 speed test. I was going to sign up for uncapped which was available until the agent told me that uncapped will be throttled. She told me for every 10 gbs you use, the speed will be throttled by 10 Mbs starting at 150 Mbs. I went with the smart wireless 100 gb with the entertainment VAS bolt on instead. More expensive but could get it on month to month with no throttling

Sounds like bull. After 150gbs zero speed?

 

[8tpg88]

Sounds like bull. After 150gbs zero speed?

I didn't ask up to what the max was. It doesn't have to be to zero, could be to 2mbs or any amount really. She was actually really knowledgable on all the products so I believe she was telling the truth.

 

[Wahlburg]

I didn't ask up to what the max was. It doesn't have to be to zero, could be to 2mbs or any amount really. She was actually really knowledgable on all the products so I believe she was telling the truth.

If she's correct, that's easily the most liberal definition of 'uncapped' I've ever heard.

I hope she's not.

 

[koeksGHT]

Time to fire up those VPN's and have full uncapped lol.

 

[KaMoS]

Time to fire up those VPN's and have full uncapped lol.

Why? It seems the aup will be usage based. A vpn won't help with that.

 

[sand_man]

Sounds like bull. After 150gbs zero speed?

+1... Most users don't get anywhere near 150Mbps anyway. Are they going to micro manage each and every account on an hour to hour basis? Unlikely.

 

[koeksGHT]

Why? It seems the aup will be usage based. A vpn won't help with that.

I see now. Yep they reaching capacity and now have to milk it.

 

[8tpg88]

+1... Most users don't get anywhere near 150Mbps anyway. Are they going to micro manage each and every account on an hour to hour basis? Unlikely.

I never get close to those speeds either, just means you won't notice you're being throttled until you have used 100 gbs or so. Maybe it is bull , but it is 100% what I was told. If people are getting messages about change in FUP, then maybe this is the change.

 

[sand_man]

I never get close to those speeds either, just means you won't notice you're being throttled until you have used 100 gbs or so. Maybe it is bull , but it is 100% what I was told. If people are getting messages about change in FUP, then maybe this is the change.

I believe you but I'm wondering why the sales rep would feed you this 'story'?

Was this an uncapped LTE account for R799?

After aggressively promoting these accounts for the last 10 months it appears Telkom have backed off just as aggressively and choose rather to promote their capped accounts.

Whether they shape/manage/throttle come September remains to be seen.

I have a horrible feeling they will and it want be as methodic as the sales rep you spoke to suggests. More a case of a rolling cap. So 10gb a day and then throttled to anywhere between 128Kbps and 2Mbps. Or alternatively hit a 100gb/200gb/300gb for the month and boom, throttled till the new month.

 

[8tpg88]

Was this an uncapped LTE account for R799?

It was uncapped LTE but I believe the price was 899 or maybe 849