Public question for V3G and Vodacom

[wlamb]

If I buy a Vodacom Huwei E620 data card I get locked into Vodacom network for 2 years at R350 p/m. After the 2 years I have to stay with Vodacom or throw the card away (or sell it back to Vodacom for peanuts). If I go on holiday/business overseas then I cannot use a non Vodafone sim card in the Vodafone data card without an 8 digit pin code to unlock it...

If I buy an MTN card, i get locked into R75 per month for 2 years and then can add on data bundles which can be cancelled at any stage. Just spoke to MTN at 011 542 2700 and a friendly chap there confirmed their cards are not locked and that I can use another sim in the data card but that their software was setup for MTN so that could cause difficulties, but that using the generic software would solve that problem.

I have been with Vodacom for 8 years and have never thought of going to another provider (irrelevant info??
)
Even though MTN's 24 month binding contract is more attractive at R75 pm (who knows, maybe i move overseas in 18 months...) I would still prefer to stay with Vodacom. ...but (and heres the crunch of it) I am NOT prepared to have a network locked card

So here goes....Vodacom/V3G ..Do you suggest that if I want a unlocked data card, that I take my business to MTN ???

I understand the big chief calling the shots is not available at present, but when you speak to him, please pose my problem to him. I WILL be getting a data card sometime in August and my choice of provider lies solely on the above !!

 

[rory]

Locked vodacom datacard

Hi.
I was in this same situation about 3 weeks ago. I needed to get 2 datacards but did not want to end up not being able to use my datacard with another network.
I have never used any other cellphone contract besides vodacom.
I had no choice -I took out 2 mycall 100 MTN contracts at R49.00 per month each that included the datacard free from MTNdirect.
I had these delivered to my house 2 days later. Work well with vodacom and mtn sims. I can now choose which sim card to use and load the best most cost effective data bundle.
I am amazed that vodacom lock their card.

 

[vodacom3g]

If I buy a Vodacom Huwei E620 data card I get locked into Vodacom network for 2 years at R350 p/m. After the 2 years I have to stay with Vodacom or throw the card away (or sell it back to Vodacom for peanuts). If I go on holiday/business overseas then I cannot use a non Vodafone sim card in the Vodafone data card without an 8 digit pin code to unlock it...

If I buy an MTN card, i get locked into R75 per month for 2 years and then can add on data bundles which can be cancelled at any stage. Just spoke to MTN at 011 542 2700 and a friendly chap there confirmed their cards are not locked and that I can use another sim in the data card but that their software was setup for MTN so that could cause difficulties, but that using the generic software would solve that problem.

I have been with Vodacom for 8 years and have never thought of going to another provider (irrelevant info??
)
Even though MTN's 24 month binding contract is more attractive at R75 pm (who knows, maybe i move overseas in 18 months...) I would still prefer to stay with Vodacom. ...but (and heres the crunch of it) I am NOT prepared to have a network locked card

So here goes....Vodacom/V3G ..Do you suggest that if I want a unlocked data card, that I take my business to MTN ???

I understand the big chief calling the shots is not available at present, but when you speak to him, please pose my problem to him. I WILL be getting a data card sometime in August and my choice of provider lies solely on the above !!

I'll forward your post as is for comments.

 

[Harley79]

the cell providers tried this before with cellphones, and to my knowledge (I may be wrong) it was declared unfair practice and anti competitive and stopped by ICASA I beleive. I would simply then assume the same ruling would apply to datacards???

 

[charl.voster]

I see that there has been no answer yet?

Our company took 12x E620 cards with contracts from MTNSP Menlyn this morning after I informed them that Vodacom is locking the cards.

 

[vodacom3g]

I've posted the 'official' status, but am in discussions to see what we can do locally.

 

[Daveogg]

I've posted the 'official' status, but am in discussions to see what we can do locally.

I thought we were still waiting for the "official" reason for locking the cards or did i miss something over the weekend?

 

[Skeptik]

I thought we were still waiting for the "official" reason for locking the cards or did i miss something over the weekend?

It sounds like this is a sensitive issue in Vodacom's ranks.

 

[MyDraadloos]

Makes business sense for Vodacom .........

To lock the cards makes business sense for Vodacom, my natural sense of morals tells me that this should not be the case.

I think the local cellular industry has reached a point where they need to separate the Service and the Hardware.

Unfortunately we have gotten used to getting cheap or free hardware. Just like petrol is made of many different cost components I am sure the same would apply to data / airtime as well.

I think a certain part of all airtime goes towards the subsidising of hardware, which is partly why they want you to only use it on their network.

Then again we are the vocal minority, the man on the street would not give it a second thought.

 

[Daveogg]

I think a certain part of all airtime goes towards the subsidising of hardware, which is partly why they want you to only use it on their network.

I seriouslty think it is time to really question this so called subsidy that the cell networks are apparently so generously giving to us.

I can only think of 3 ways to get a data card

1) Buy outright for R2500.00. This is slightly more than one can buy the card retail in the UK ( I am sure other places are cheaper ). Considering Vodacom must negotiate big discounts on bulk orders rather than subsidising the card i can see them making a profit on these outright purchases.

2) Data contract. Get a free card if you sign up for 24 months. Great so this is the subsidy - in reality i am sure the price of the card is just built into the data costs. Now why lock the card i am going to pay you the monthly charge even if i dont use your network. In these contract the so called subsidy is going to be paid back whether i use the network or not.

3) Phone contract with data card as free "phone". Currently the best deal i have seen is a data card for R99 on weekender. So you pay R2396.00 total in contract costs over the 24 months. One could argue that is a subsidy of R104 + free finance, well thanks thats great but hardly worth having your card locked over.

In reality i dont think their is much that the networks activerly subsidise in the data market. Its all smoke and mirrors.

Network locking of the cards is simply insurance incase the network cant compete on price or service.

 

[antonbijl]

Surely the lock isn't enforced by hardware. So isn't it possible to just download & install the manufacturer's firmware instead of Vodacom's version?