Pre Paid Data Bundles [PPDBs]

Should this thread be closed (locked)?

  • 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
    17
  • Poll closed .
vodafone data card - pay as go

fergus said:
Here's a suggestion, Vodacom should bring out prepaid data vouchers which give prepaid users access to the R0.60 data rate (much like the new sms vouchers which give you access to cheaper sms'es). For example, they could bring out a R18 data voucher which would buy you 30MB of data transfer.

I for one don't see why prepaid users should be penalised with higher data rates just because they're wary of 2 year contracts. Besides, prepaid customers are the best kind of customers as far as I see because you'll never catch them defaulting on their contracts (they can't!). I was thinking about getting a Messenger contract for R35 a month and then getting data bundles bolted onto that as v3g suggested but I'm not going to because I disagree with signing a 2 year contract. I shouldn't have to. And you would be crazy to sign any kind of 2 year contract at the moment with all the changes taking place in the market. Better to wait for things to settle down a bit first.

I think being able to get data services on a prepaid Vodacom sim is one of Vodacom's greatest services at the moment. Since the recent price drop to R2 a meg Vodacom's data services have finally been available at prices that won't cripple your bank account. Now I think they should better themselves by giving it to us at reasonable rates just like they do for their contract users - by introducing prepaid data vouchers.
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As far as i know Vodocom R2.00 mb is currently the highest amount local networks pay as go - MTN - Starts at R1.00 and the list goes on, i am currently using mtn in my vodafone hspda <deleted by="ic" reason="advertising"/>
 
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Spencer Davis said:
As far as i know Vodocom R2.00 mb is currently the highest amount local networks pay as go - MTN - Starts at R1.00 and the list goes on, i am currently using mtn in my vodafone hspda - i a 3g gprs for sale and a new vodafone hsdpa high speed data card from R1000.00 if anyone interested, spencer 0835838884
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Virgin Mobile is R0.50c a Mb
 
I see the latest Voda Newsletter mentions number portability comes 18 September.

So simply put : If come 18 Sept and Vodacom do not have prepaid bundles, i am moving my number to MTN [or virgin if they can get their network running properly with my datacard, at the moment it's just too unreliable + no 3G.].

I am enjoying the prepaid bundle flexibility too much now and i feel more in control in terms of usage. Yes, i got nailed with a R200 additional cost this month on my Voda contract for going 100MB over my bundle.......i could've bought a 350MB bundle with that cash :((((
 
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Tallboy said:
Ironically number portability will probably take precedence and PPDB's will be moved to the back burner. I think.:D
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You're quite right, number portability did make a huge impact on projects and products rolling out. It's all in place now so everyone and everything can get back to normality (whatever that means :rolleyes: ).
 
vodacom3g said:
You're quite right, number portability did make a huge impact on projects and products rolling out. It's all in place now so everyone and everything can get back to normality (whatever that means :rolleyes: ).
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... so Vodacom delays the other projects we are waiting for but completes the one that makes it easier for us to migrate if we are unhappy. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! :D
 
Tallboy said:
... so Vodacom delays the other projects we are waiting for but completes the one that makes it easier for us to migrate if we are unhappy. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! :D
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All to make you happy :D Actually it was a legal requirement, but it's cool. Companies should compete on service / products / pricing, etc. and not on perceived lock-in.

Actually I think there might be some churn but not a massive netto effect, i.e. you're going to have the same number of people migrating in both directions....
 
vodacom3g said:
... I think there might be some churn but not a massive netto effect, i.e. you're going to have the same number of people migrating in both directions....
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I think that people and companies really want to get good price and good service.. VM prices show that vodacom is really raking in the profits with data .. and I am not refering to buy R10000 worth of data to get 23c/MB

Small companies cant manage 600 odd bucks every month but they need solutions..... I think there is going to be a huge churn away from vodacom...( also telkom affiliated) (billions of profits no definitive cut in adsl prices)

Yes people will move but if you wanna look at percentages then Vodacom has the most to loose as Voda has more clients ( including the 1's they gonna delete. (oooopss you been erased....he may be back...)

Anyway I cud see vodacom dropping prices to 50c/MB from the 1st bit... thats if they wanted to compete in the SMME segment. So the question is ....? Do they wanna compete. If not . they it shows us that Voda is very money hungry ( arnt we all) but at ridiculous profits, companies shud excersice their right to migrate.. ( but Voda may have hefty porting fees)

So how customer friendly do they wanna be .... or do they need to pay off that fishing cottage out in Dullsstroom..?

hic
 
data bundles for pre-paid

Data bundles for prepaid on VC will be good for my use.
MTN's got bundles for pre-paid.... but still, if u don't use within a month, u lose it.
There Virgin Mobile still better, 50c/Mb only pay what you use, and your munny gets carried over till u use.
And I also find that (probably coz there are fewer users on CellC) the VM connection on EDGE is way faster than MTN's crappy service.

But I use my VC prepaid sim with MTN HSDPA card, for 3G HSDPA connection, as MTN and CellC/VM doesn't have 3G in my area (Gezina, PTA) :-(
So I use different network sims to connect, depending on the area where I need to connect, as each have areas of good and crap signals, in JHB/Pta.

I used to get about 600kbps with the data card on VC a few weeks ago, but now I only get 3G speeds. Could it be that the network is now sticking me on the 3G signal only???
I know VC has different prices on 3G and HSDPA bundles, but I pay R2/mb on the VC network prepaid, this being the same price for 3G or HSDPA, so surely I should be able to use the HSDPA connection??
Vodacom3g... what's your take on this? When using prepaid to connect with an HSDPA modem, what connection will we get, both 3G and HSDPA in the area?
 
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prepaid data bundles

while we're on the subject of lower data prices for prepaid, what about improving the connection speed overall for everybody?
All that hoohaa advertising about how fast and great HSDPA speed is, when back at the ranch, in reality, average Joe User shouldn't expect even half the speed, even half the time :-(
we all know there are lotsa reasons why the speeds go down, but still, at the data prices we pay in SA, I say we should expect at least 80% of the speed at least 80% of the time..... wow what a dream!
That goes for VC and MTN.
They seem to put up the bare minimum of towers, (so causing the low speeds if u're not the only user in the cell)... just so they can say "We've got the connection", but they go and spend lots in other countries (with even lower prices than us), and sponsorships... I'm all for sharing with other countries, and expanding the networks, but you first look after your own people, the South African users who have been supporting the networks from the start, and made them the big co's they r today.
Faster, more accessible internet will benefit all in SA.......
Anyway,
that's my 2c worth of soapbox for today... no political aspirations whatsoever :-)
 
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From what I can see things work very differently here in SA than in the rest of the world apparantly. Even with Virgin charging 50c/mb Vodacom/MTN/Cell-C doesn't appear to be worried much at all. Competition doesn't appear to mean anything in this country. Companies are still trying to screw the public over. If this was anywhere else in the world they would be falling over themselves to provide the same price.

For some strange reason this is not happening now. Is it perhaps because it was an unexpected move, but then Vodacom has made some unexpected moves themselves lately. Could it be because people are on the go and have their VodaSIM with them in their phone and don't want to change over so they end up just using it? If this is the case we would see next month what happens with number portability entering into the picture. Or is it that there is no 3G/HSDPA? This shouldn't really have a great impact either as we are used to slow speeds and price is usually the primary deciding factor and on Virgin you seem to get a stable GPRS/EDGE connection where on Vodacom you get either 3G or very slow GPRS.

Can only wait and see... :D
 
Yes, will be interesting to see what will happen when number porting will be avail. I guess the cost penalty to change will have an effect as well.
But I am sure that VM will get lots of new customers.
If VC & MTN won't do something big with their data connection quality and pricing, especially on prepaid, I can see big moves towards Virgin.
I use VM for data as far as I can, only using VC for 3G/HSDPA when speed is essential, for normal browsing VM's EDGE is quite sufficient.
Using VM to connect on EDGE, I generally get 170kbps +, the speed is almost double what I get with MTN's socalled better connection.... and at 50c/Mb it is at qtr of the price! and no use-it-or-lose-it crap with bundles.
Just waiting for VMs 128K sims, so I can use it in my MTN HSDPA modem.
Only problem is VMs lack of 3G/HSDPA, but we gotta believe it's gonna come too eventually.
Then it's byebye VC/MTN!
 
CeeBee said:
I used to get about 600kbps with the data card on VC a few weeks ago, but now I only get 3G speeds. Could it be that the network is now sticking me on the 3G signal only???
I know VC has different prices on 3G and HSDPA bundles, but I pay R2/mb on the VC network prepaid, this being the same price for 3G or HSDPA, so surely I should be able to use the HSDPA connection??
Vodacom3g... what's your take on this? When using prepaid to connect with an HSDPA modem, what connection will we get, both 3G and HSDPA in the area?
Click to expand...

Won't you PM me the number you use in your data card. Want to check your profile.

BTW, I agree with your take on 3G/HSDPA. Pre-paid users should all be on HSDPA by default as you pay the same.
 
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