OFF WITH THEIR HEADS

Hosehead

Executive Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
7,838
Background:

Late last year I took the plunge and purchased a R1600 PM contract that included a 64MB iphone 5, an ipad for my daughter and an LTE Router with 20 GB pm for 36 months . All was well and attimes when I moved from town to home in Camps Bay, the LTE would acquire Telkom Mobiles 3g signal and even at its weakest the LTE worked like a charm.
However the Apple devices didn't fare so well but the remedy was to run them off MTN's network and use the WIFI capabilities of my own LTE . This was the calm before the storm.

Over New Year, both my job and daughters school locations changed and as planned I moved to White River which is a two horse town 20km from Nelspruit but 1000 meters higher up. The Apple devices continue to piggy back off MTN network but despite showing 3g coverage on Telkoms own maps, and reassurance from staff at the seapoint office that there was indeed 3g there is NO COVERAGE WHATSOEVER in the White River area. None. Nada . Sweet bugger all. Now that wouldn't bother me so much if my Telkom LTE worked but it cannot piggyback off MTN . It requires Telkom mobile/8ta signal for 3g to work.

Action.

The only Telkom office is in a mall on the outskirts of Nelspruit 20km away and 1000 m downhill as the stone rolls.

It's usually full of irate customers and staff that if shown a little courtesy will attempt to help .

I logged two complaints and request for solution and have heard nothing at all despite three visits since New Year. I received a missed call twice from a telkom number that cannot be dialed back despite specific instructions to communicate via sms as I am deaf.

Meanwhile Telkom happily plunders my account of nearly R2000 per month and I cannot even get the promo bundle as I am piggy backing off MTN which means instead of the nearly 30 GB a month I signed up for, I am only getting 2GB between two Apples .

There are only two solutions either I would be happy with. 1. Telkom unlocks their LTE device to allow it to use MTN's signal or they cancel the contract and let me find a service provider who does have good coverage.
And ifTelkom cancels the contract they should also cancel the iphone and ipad contracts because I do not receive any signal from their own tower which means I cannot use their promo deal on all networks.

As to whether Telkom will be putting up a tower in White River nobody seems to know or even care. Their landlines are rapidly being dug up for the copper and are not being replaced in any hurry and most people are using Vodacom, MTN and Satellite internet .

Meanwhile I pull my last remaining hairs out of my head in frustration as my job and life depend on connectivity so for the interim I am forced to spend on Vodacoms promo bundles.

Had I known in the first place that there was NO Telkom 3g in White River I would have stayed well away from the Seapoint Telkom office.
 

MKFrost

Expert Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2012
Messages
3,837
Welcome at Telkom, where the left-hand has no idea what the right-hand is doing.

Best of luck in getting your problem sorted out. I will do everything in writing and keep detailed records of everything in order to claim back what you have lost.
 

Arthur

Honorary Master
Joined
Aug 7, 2003
Messages
26,879
I sympathise, Hosehead. Not pleasant to be in that situation. I hope you get things resolved.

To be honest, I don't think you have much of a case. Telkom are not being unreasonable by not using a competitor's network. Yeah it's frustrating. But there are many, many areas where there is no coverage, which is understandable.

Good luck, though.
 

Telkom

Expert Member
Company Rep
Joined
Jun 2, 2011
Messages
2,246
Good day

Kindly be advised that LTE and promo contracts are Telkom Mobile coverage reliant. If all your devices cannot access MTN network, you can PM us all your affected number, make/model od devices used, if possible include the iOS in your Apple devices, full physical address and alternative contact number so we investigate further.

Regards
TM Social Media

Background:

Late last year I took the plunge and purchased a R1600 PM contract that included a 64MB iphone 5, an ipad for my daughter and an LTE Router with 20 GB pm for 36 months . All was well and attimes when I moved from town to home in Camps Bay, the LTE would acquire Telkom Mobiles 3g signal and even at its weakest the LTE worked like a charm.
However the Apple devices didn't fare so well but the remedy was to run them off MTN's network and use the WIFI capabilities of my own LTE . This was the calm before the storm.

Over New Year, both my job and daughters school locations changed and as planned I moved to White River which is a two horse town 20km from Nelspruit but 1000 meters higher up. The Apple devices continue to piggy back off MTN network but despite showing 3g coverage on Telkoms own maps, and reassurance from staff at the seapoint office that there was indeed 3g there is NO COVERAGE WHATSOEVER in the White River area. None. Nada . Sweet bugger all. Now that wouldn't bother me so much if my Telkom LTE worked but it cannot piggyback off MTN . It requires Telkom mobile/8ta signal for 3g to work.

Action.

The only Telkom office is in a mall on the outskirts of Nelspruit 20km away and 1000 m downhill as the stone rolls.

It's usually full of irate customers and staff that if shown a little courtesy will attempt to help .

I logged two complaints and request for solution and have heard nothing at all despite three visits since New Year. I received a missed call twice from a telkom number that cannot be dialed back despite specific instructions to communicate via sms as I am deaf.

Meanwhile Telkom happily plunders my account of nearly R2000 per month and I cannot even get the promo bundle as I am piggy backing off MTN which means instead of the nearly 30 GB a month I signed up for, I am only getting 2GB between two Apples .

There are only two solutions either I would be happy with. 1. Telkom unlocks their LTE device to allow it to use MTN's signal or they cancel the contract and let me find a service provider who does have good coverage.
And ifTelkom cancels the contract they should also cancel the iphone and ipad contracts because I do not receive any signal from their own tower which means I cannot use their promo deal on all networks.

As to whether Telkom will be putting up a tower in White River nobody seems to know or even care. Their landlines are rapidly being dug up for the copper and are not being replaced in any hurry and most people are using Vodacom, MTN and Satellite internet .

Meanwhile I pull my last remaining hairs out of my head in frustration as my job and life depend on connectivity so for the interim I am forced to spend on Vodacoms promo bundles.

Had I known in the first place that there was NO Telkom 3g in White River I would have stayed well away from the Seapoint Telkom office.
 

sajunky

Honorary Master
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
13,124
Having full MTN 3G coverage your solution is Afrihost. LTE router is probably not comptatible with MTN LTE, but it should work in 3G mode.
 

Hosehead

Executive Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
7,838
Having full MTN 3G coverage your solution is Afrihost. LTE router is probably not comptatible with MTN LTE, but it should work in 3G mode.


Thats the idea - MTN says that Telkom needs to unlock my LTE so it can at least use MTN 3G network so here's hoping.
@ Arthur well when you do a coverage check on Telkoms maps before you do a contract parts of White River did show 3g coverage and of course it all belongs to MTN but Telkom wont tell you that. You find out the rude awakening way when the LTE flashes Red and your Apples die a quick death.
In any case the coverage down in Nelspruit - a fairly strategic commercial location due to proximity between two borders is dodgy and sporadic at best . Telkom Mobile needs to jack itself up or god forbid it becomes another virgin mobile. Ugh.
 

sajunky

Honorary Master
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
13,124
You find out the rude awakening way when the LTE flashes Red and your Apples die a quick death.
LTE with Apple on Telkom Mobile? Read another thread from the hourse mouth: There is no LTE carrier update for Apple (5c or 5s) so far.
 

Hosehead

Executive Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
7,838
LTE with Apple on Telkom Mobile? Read another thread from the hourse mouth: There is no LTE carrier update for Apple (5c or 5s) so far.

Just the 5 - it gets the wi-fi signal from the LTE on 3g
 
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Hosehead

Executive Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
7,838
Well I spent the better part of a morning at Telkom mobile and I learned finally that (and that folks is why you should read the boards more often) the Telkom LRE Router is Unlocked so one can just bin the telkom sim and jam in a sim any other carrier and it works off 3g at great speeds no buffering low latency. Faster than 3 G dongle.
They said they would send a tech out to add a booster and or antenna and see if I can't get the telkom signal from Nelspruit - the signal ends just bfore the peak of the hill on the climb to White River amd I am at the highest point well sortaif you include farm higher than me but no line of sight to tower) so maybe theres yet hope. If they can't get a signa onlyl then they will cancel the contract and just charge me for the LTE Router. It would be a pity becauseI signed up for 20 GB anytime data x 36 for R699 and I'll have to pay more for data elsewhere. Ah well C'est la vie. Wish I had known the Frigging modem was unlocked before I pulled all my hair out.
 

sajunky

Honorary Master
Joined
Nov 1, 2010
Messages
13,124
Just the 5 - it gets the wi-fi signal from the LTE on 3g
I didn't mention 5, as this model do not support Telkom TDD 2300MHz LTE band 40, so there is no chance that carrier update would change anything.

Re: Router, it is unlocked, but does it support LTE frequencies used by other networks? Check it out!
 

Hosehead

Executive Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
7,838
Re: Router, it is unlocked, but does it support LTE frequencies used by other networks? Check it out!

I'm in the sticks not the cities wher the LTE coverage is, but blazing fast 3g is good enough on the LTE router but why the hell do I have to pay for another network data on top of a now utterly useless useless R1600 monthly contract ?
and so I hear back yesterday after multiple attempts and telkom mobile rep...case nbr 7267369

Good day,

As per our conversation earlier, your current address have no Telkom mobile coverage and the contract that you took is only subject to coverage check and network availability. I have managed to communicate with the data team and they advise that because there is no coverage in your area there is nothing that can be done on our side.

Well we checked at seapoint telkom if thr was 3g coverage where I was moving to and there was. However it was actually mtn 3g coverage from which telkom piggybacks off so LTE devices are useless as are iphone and ipad promo bundles so I pay R1600 for what ? 3GB
Thanks.
 
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Arthur

Honorary Master
Joined
Aug 7, 2003
Messages
26,879
Thats the idea - MTN says that Telkom needs to unlock my LTE so it can at least use MTN 3G network so here's hoping.
@ Arthur well when you do a coverage check on Telkoms maps...
You're right! Apols. Hope you get sorted.
 

Hosehead

Executive Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2008
Messages
7,838
I gave up dealing with Telkom mobile office staff, I handed the matter over to our TM rep on the site,
Lets see if S/he can pull any rabbits out of hats.
My experience to date with able-bodied employees has been like the Spanish inquisition minus the torture.
 
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Telkom

Expert Member
Company Rep
Joined
Jun 2, 2011
Messages
2,246
I gave up dealing with Telkom mobile office staff, I handed the matter over to our TM rep on the site,
Lets see if S/he can pull any rabbits out of hats.
My experience to date with able-bodied employees has been like the Spanish inquisition minus the torture.

Hi Hosehead

Kindly be advised that we replied to your PM.

Regards
Telkom Mobile
 
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