Pre Paid Data Bundles [PPDBs]

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  • Yes, put it out of its misery

    Votes: 7 41.2%

  • No, I don't like euthanasia, leave it to die painfully & alone

    Votes: 10 58.8%

  • I'm confused, maybe all of the above

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
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  • Poll closed .
I just got myself a 4U starter pack. Activated it dialling 100. I want to use this sim in my MTN E620 data card for data only but need some info ...

1) How do I activate 3G on this pre-paid sim?
2) What APN, username, password, etc. should I enter in the Huawei dashboard?

I've seen this info in one of the threads but cannot find it now.
 
I've tried *111# but get an "invalid option" message when I try to access the 3G menu. I asume now the sim should be active for 24h before I can activate data services.
 
Trafeye said:
I just got myself a 4U starter pack. Activated it dialling 100. I want to use this sim in my MTN E620 data card for data only but need some info ...

1) How do I activate 3G on this pre-paid sim?
2) What APN, username, password, etc. should I enter in the Huawei dashboard?

I've seen this info in one of the threads but cannot find it now.
Click to expand...
The clearest one is http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=46038 which also addresses the invalid option fault.

ic: I know v3g didn't say today which is why I'm quoting him on the word imminent™. But he did say it is planned for July. Vodacom should know by now what is going to happen and if nothing is happening they should tell us why. I would just like a comment on this either way as I think we all have some downloads in the backlog which would cost us a fortune at R2/meg.
 
Sorry, been away for the day....

As ic stated (and I've said before) there is now way I'm commiting to a PPDB date. Been there, done that and have got the emotional scars. :rolleyes:

But it is in this time frame, I'm told, but anything I mention around PPDB is completely off the record and I actually never even said it....;)
 
vodacom3g said:
But it is in this time frame, I'm told,
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That was the reply last time, but I want to know what the problem is. :confused: Vodacom has been promising it for over a year. Should we switch to Virgin? I think they would have PPDBs well before Vodacom and their out of bundle rate is comparable to a bundle.
 
APN is "internet". that's all i changed. works like a dream. also running both mtn and voda. (this is for Trafeye). got the advice from Cel C 3G.
 
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Thanx for the help guys. My Vodacom 4U sim now works in my MTN Huawei data card and I'm getting HSDPA where MTN doesn't have EDGE or 3G. Now I can only hope those pre-paid data bundles arive soon.
 
Why wait for Voda data bundles? I got myself a Virgin Mobile sim a week ago and have been surfing happily for 50c/mb without worrying about bundles since then. In my opinion bundles are a temporary fix anyway, until we get decent no-bundle prices, and VirginM just moved us a step closer.
 
74466 said:
WELL, its 3 days now... NO NEWS, NO ADS, NO NOTHING???? WHATS UP WITH THAT?

OH W8.... PPBDs is a dream, voda is messin with us.
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No messing,

We announced PPDB more than a year ago, stuffed it up and then said when it's ready to launch we'll make an anouncement. Not going to make the same mistake again to anounce something that's not ready.

So I'm not sure where the expectation suddenly came from that it was going to be available 1st of July?

I did mention (off the record and in an attempt to keep you guys in the loop) that we're aiming for this time frame, but no official Vodacom anouncement was made.
 
vodacom3g said:
No messing,

We announced PPDB more than a year ago, stuffed it up and then said when it's ready to launch we'll make an anouncement. Not going to make the same mistake again to anounce something that's not ready.
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Well it is the stuffed up part that gets me worked up. To my knowledge Vc hasn't yet told us what the problem is. There has been some talk somewhere about software. I don't think software can take over a year to sort out. MTN announced data bundles and they were available. Contract customers can get bundles so why not prepaid. LOL, just checked and I can buy sms bundles of up to 2000. The only answer I am left with is that Vc has some backroom deal going on not to provide them to us.
So I'm not sure where the expectation suddenly came from that it was going to be available 1st of July? I did mention (off the record and in an attempt to keep you guys in the loop) that we're aiming for this time frame, but no official Vodacom anouncement was made.
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Not an expectation of availability but rather of an explanation as to what is happening.



I'm going with this:
Piesang said:
Why do you need Vodacom PPDB when you can use Virgin Mobile for 50c per MB????
Click to expand...
Even IF Vc gives us bundles it would still be cheaper as there is no risk of losing your left overs at the end of the month and they might just surprise us by giving us bundles at R200/gig. Vodacom has just lost a data customer. :p Anybody else coming with me?

ps: anyone know where I can find the info? Checked their site and can't find any pricing.
ps2: v3g: Not aiming this at you either. :cool:
 
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True true true BUT, and i am not aiming this at u v3g, MTN launched ppdbs a year ago, (give or take a month or 2) and now that vm launched at 50c/MB vc members WILL get a bit aggitated(my spelling sux 2day). I have been with vc for ages, and look at what kind of service we are getting??? We have to deal with BAD BAD BAD connections, slow speeds, and just straight forward pathetic operators when u phone 111 or 155, and i think it is time vc starts to look after their loyal customers, and start delivering on their promises. Vodacom used to be the best, but this last 2 years , even with the notorious vodafone backing they are going backwards, and that is BS. They have to start getting in gear and show us why they are the best. AS THEY STILL DO CLAIM TO BE BEST, AND STILL CLAIM THAT THEIR CLIENTS ARE HAPPY, I DONT KNOW BOUT THE REST OF THEIR CLIENTS, BUT I AM NO LONGER HAPPY!

Just my few cents
 
Prometheus said:
Well it is the stuffed up part that gets me worked up. To my knowledge Vc hasn't yet told us what the problem is. There has been some talk somewhere about software. I don't think software can take over a year to sort out. MTN announced data bundles and they were available. Contract customers can get bundles so why not prepaid. LOL, just checked and I can buy sms bundles of up to 2000. The only answer I am left with is that Vc has some backroom deal going on not to provide them to us.

Not an expectation of availability but rather of an explanation as to what is happening.



I'm going with this:

Even IF Vc gives us bundles it would still be cheaper as there is no risk of losing your left overs at the end of the month and they might just surprise us by giving us bundles at R200/gig. Vodacom has just lost a data customer. :p Anybody else coming with me?

ps: anyone know where I can find the info? Checked their site and can't find any pricing.
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I agree, if voda dont shape up, and give us what we want, we go, as simple as that, we dont need to fight for what we want anymore, as it is as easy as buying another R89 sim card
 
Prometheus said:
To my knowledge Vc hasn't yet told us what the problem is.
Click to expand...

AFAIK, we discussed the causes at length on this forum, but here's a recap; the system designed had one or two issues in that certain billing situations could not be 100% garuanteed.

It led to a redesign and the billing / engineering guys eventually designed a completely new architecture that can do much more and will ensure capabilities needed into the future. PPDB bacame part of this initiative.

I've said it often before, Vodacom knows it's losing out by not having this capability, so there is nothing sinister in the delays, conspiracy theories nonwithstanding.
 
Question.

I don't understand why Vodacom is struggeling for so long to get the PPDB's ready.

Virgin Mobile have Prepaid airtime that you can use for data as well. If I buy R120 airtime from Virgin Mobile then I have R120 (240MB) worth of airtime to use for browsing and downloading. Don't understand really.

Please help me. Does this mean that the new comer (VM) starts off better than VC is at the moment?
 
vodacom3g said:
AFAIK, we discussed the causes at length on this forum, but here's a recap; the system designed had one or two issues in that certain billing situations could not be 100% garuanteed.
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Don't know about the term at length but maybe I missed it somehow, will check to see. I wonder what the certain billing situations are and what is meant with 100% guaranteed. If the bundles work on a contract number then surely they should work with a prepaid number. And if we can buy an sms bundle then we should also be able to buy a data bundle. Is Vc testing the system and if not then how can they know it doesn't work?
It led to a redesign and the billing / engineering guys eventually designed a completely new architecture that can do much more and will ensure capabilities needed into the future. PPDB bacame part of this initiative.
Click to expand...
That is where the problem lies. It shouldn't take them over a year to redesign a billing system. The system would only need redesign if it didn't function correctly in the first place. Modularity comes to mind here. Afaic these billing/engineering guys are a bunch of idiots and you're allowed to relay that message to them. :D

I really have to wonder how much Vc is losing out. Most people won't change sims just to make a quick data connection and then the other networks' 3G coverage is seemingly non-existant so they are not feasible for large downloads also. Afaic Vc has really stuffed this one up. At the end of the day I don't think they are concerned at all as 250mb @ R2/mb makes up for the loss of a bundle @ R499/gb.

Piesang: That is my view as well. They have programmed satellites or complete space stations in less time than it takes for Vc to provide us with something as simple as data bundles. If they really wanted to fix the problem quickly and efficiently they would have done what every other business would do in such a situation and imported people to take care of it. I'm sorry but it has been over a year and there is no acceptible excuse for that. The problem is that they have too many customers and don't have to worry about the competition taking their business. MTN announced data bundles and they were available not because of a better system but because a possible capturing of market share gives them that incentive. Virgin is possibly also planning a launch of data bundles and it wouldn't surprise me if they beat Vc to it.
 
Yesterday I got my 4U pre-paid card to work on my data card and used it during the evening. Today I keep on getting a "connection failed" error going by the number of 619A. Anyone know what this error code means? I have plenty airtime loaded.
 
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