Problems that i see with 3G/HSDPA Internet

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Napalm

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Vodacom, MTN , CELL-C and Virgin Mobile all offer different prices on GPRS/3G/HSDPA data. Prices are cheaper on bundled packages like 500mb, 1gig and 2gig vs the out-of-bundle wich is normally around R2 per meg (Virgin mobile is 50cent per meg on out of bundle)

The Problem i see with all these Cellphone or 3G/HSDPA Card or Router based internet, are the prices these Providers charge for the data.

You already pay for the connectivity to the network to make and recieve calls.

If you compare GPRS/3G/HSDPA internet to Fixed Antenna Wireless internet company's, the prices Vodacom, MTN , CELL-C and VIrgin Mobile charges are rediculous.

Unless you've got a HSDPA card and have excellent signal strength and signal quality, you won't get Super speeds. You'll prolly get around 45kbps(GPRS) to around 320kbps if you connect at 3G speeds.

MTN
http://www.mtn.co.za/?pid=248769
1gig Data is R 399.00

Vodacom
http://www.vodacom.co.za/services/mobile_data/vodacom_what_cost.jsp
500mb Data is R 189.00
1gig Data is R 289.00
2gig Data is R 389.00



Most of the Fixed Antenna Wireless Internet Providers give you uncapped data allowance, but they do speedlimit and shape your data and some ISP's even block Peer-to-Peer(P2P).

Uninet
http://www.uninet.co.za/index.php?contentType=PRODUCT&category=HOME
256K Uncapped Package is R600

AeroSat
http://www.aerosat.co.za/satdsl.connectivity.php
Home 384K uncapped is R795

CScape
http://www.cscape.co.za/buts/internetguide.asp
UNCAPPED - 128 kb p/second R 350.00 p/m
UNCAPPED - 256 kb p/second R 550.00 p/m

So technically you pay for the Speed at wich u get your data at, its uncapped and your connection does have a few limitations like no-p2p or speed limited during office hours etc.etc But HTTP and Emails will get priority.

256K internet will give you estimated speeds of around 18-30kb per second (even at the minimum estimated speed of 18kb per sec it will give you around 64mb per hour +-) * 10 hours = 640mb +-*
Wireless stays wireless, doesn't matter if its from a 3G router or via a normal Cellphone or even thru a Wireless Lan. Wireless speeds does fluctuate due to Signal Quality and Strength. So Speeds may go up and down at times.


At the end of it all you get charged Super Rates due to the Mobility factor of your internet vs the Fixed Antenna offers wich are uncapped.



I think Prices on Data is a huge part of the "chasm" that needs to be sorted out.
Mobile internet needs to “cross the chasm”
http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Broadband/982.html
 
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I was going to switch to Uninet, 512kbps uncapped sounds nice, but this doesn't:
Also available are a month-to-month contract with a set up cost of R 2450 which includes a R 1200 installation cost and a R 1250 activation cost.
Click to expand...
Didn't see anything about a free router...

How does "activating" your account cost R1250, how much work does this involve that it costs R1250?
 
The problem I have with those service providers is the contention ratio of 20:1 that most of them have. Sharing a 512kbps connection with 20 other people cannot possibly be a lot of fun.
 
And let's face it, it's not really uncapped....

I have full strength HSDPA in Durban and I get speeds of 1mbit + , which I am quite happy with!
 
Ivan... said:
How does "activating" your account cost R1250, how much work does this involve that it costs R1250?
Click to expand...

Essentially you are paying for their gear to be installed, installation takes about 5 minutes.

Its a crock of ****.
 
I think Uninet has a option wich u pay R300 upfront , and then R300 for install. But then u must take a contract of 24months, they have a 12months contract option too
 
Here is my view on this. You are not comparing apples with apples. A fixed ADSL line has its cost benefits yes, and is probably a more stable connection in general. But you cannot take it with you, you are bound to one location. For many internet users, being mobile is worth paying more for - the benefits outweigh the cost. Plus there are other hidden advantages. I know of several people out in rural areas where telkom claims they cannot provide DSL. All of these clients get at least GPRS and many of them 3G connections, where they would otherwise be bound to dial-up connections (I get shivers). Another advantage, mostly for businesses, is the setup time involved. You will easily wait 2 months to get an ADSL line installed, whereas a 3G card can be activated and installed the very same day you need it. I know of at least three companies that have purchased several 3G cards for the latter reason.
 
I'm not trying to Compare Wireless with Fixed line ADSL.

I'm comparing the costs of Wireless GPRS/3G/HSDPA vs Fixed Antenna Wireless ISP's
They share the bandwidth, the cap is technically coming either from SAIX or IS. So the Costs should be similar, but it aint.

So if your a heavy user, say doing business alot, or even a family man with lots of reletives who recieve high quality Images or even vids (as many family's do). On GPRS/3G/HSDPA you'll need a 1gig bundle or maybe more and if you need more you have to pay extra per meg. So your bill can run from anywhere around R289 to around R800 if you are a user who uses maybe 3-5gigs per month.

Where'as alot of people on Fixed antenna ISP's can use as much as 10gig or more, and still only pay the R600 or R800 monthly (Depending on wich package they pick)

But Fixed Antenna Wireless company's, only charge you a amount for providing a certian speed level of 256K or 384K or 512K and no pricing on your usage.
 
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Oh, I see, my bad. Sorry. Why would anyone opt for a fixed antenna if they can get DSL at a similar (if not same) price? DSL should deliver a better service as well. What benefits are there to this type of connection?

I am using a 2GB 3G account, else I end up going over that 1GB bracket and paying more for the next 200MB than I paid for the first gig to start off with. I think the tariff that falls in place when you exceed your bundle option is ridiculous (from roughly 0.20 cents to R1.20 and higher).
 
I aint Interested in benefit and convenience Im interested in value for money :p

On the extreme side if that HSDPA modem costs far less to manufacture and requires a lot less work to implement and setup then I would expect to pay far less, even if it is a better product overall.

Hell a digital Casio 'el cheapo watch still does the job better than a pricey golden analogue flashy one. :)
 
Gavpapi precisely.

You currently pay fixed price for the 2gig each month. and if u go over the cap u pay even more per meg.

They should ask ruffly the same prices, seeing as Both Fixed antenna Wireless and Mobile Wireless data costs them the same. Why can't they offer similar packages??

But now they exploit the factor that they offer it via Mobile Unit, and charge you per meg at R2 per meg or whotever. So the only way u can get cheaper data is to buy the Bundled packages.

Whot about the poor person who only likes to chat on MSN or irc, and check his email. He must pay R2 per meg.
and what about the person who uses alot of data. So he must just suffer and pay up R289 per gig. (Let me remind you these ISP's are linked to ADSL lines, some have backbone of a few Diginet lines. But the data is around R60 per gig actually, so they only provide you with the link)
 
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Napalm said:
Gavpapi precisely.

You currently pay fixed price for the 2gig each month. and if u go over the cap u pay even more per meg.

They should ask ruffly the same prices, seeing as Both Fixed antenna Wireless and Mobile Wireless data costs them the same. Why can't they offer similar packages??

But now they exploit the factor that they offer it via Mobile Unit, and charge you per meg at R2 per meg or whotever. So the only way u can get cheaper data is to buy the Bundled packages.

Whot about the poor person who only likes to chat on MSN or irc, and check his email. He must pay R2 per meg.
and what about the person who uses alot of data. So he must just suffer and pay up R289 per gig. (Let me remind you these ISP's are linked to ADSL lines, some have backbone of a few Diginet lines. But the data is around R60 per gig actually, so they only provide you with the link)
Click to expand...

How can you say the costs of WISPs and the costs of Vodacom/MTN are the same? They're totally different products using totally different connections, backbones etc.
 
That would be where the huge difference comes in.

A WISP is generally very localised around 1 town/city, and even then not covering most of it.

Vodacom is much larger scale, and the technologies involved are considerably different. 1 WISP that I know of uses modified consumer grade equipment. Vodacom definately couldn't use consumer grade equipment for their operation.
 
I have only one comment: if someone can implement a comparable wireless broadband service - in South Africa - at a much cheaper rate than HSDPA from Vodacom and MTN, then please demonstrate your abilities & stop complaining and get on with it - we are all waiting eagerly for you to put your money where your mouth is.
 
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