Speeds outside of HSPA+ area

[Sodan]

What kind of speeds can I expect outside Cell C's HSPA+ areas?

I'm strongly considering their RBM R249 pm deal... but don't want to pay for something with 500MB of bundled data per month, but effectively be unable to use it because it's simply too slow!

 

[Yuu]

Stand to be corrected but if no HSPA+ connection is established then it will be EDGE, speeds vary upto 384Kbps (kind of like 384 DSL).

On a phone it should be good enough

Again i stand to be corrected regarding speeds...

GL

 

[Park@82]

I am also wondering how "usable" it would be.

 

[Sodan]

Stand to be corrected but if no HSPA+ connection is established then it will be EDGE, speeds vary upto 384Kbps (kind of like 384 DSL).

On a phone it should be good enough

Again i stand to be corrected regarding speeds...

GL

Thanks. I have an antennae to boost signal (it has a little thingy that connects over the part you slip into a laptop to make a wireless connection... sorry, I just don't know the terminology ._.)

I would actually primarily need it to VPN into the office, and then remote desktop to our overseas servers from there, in order to do after-hours support. Since my colleagues are using 384kbps (wired) connections, and they're fine, I'm guessing a 384kbps wireless connection would suffice as well?

 

[AG-TIG]

Cell C Edge is shaky,

I am right under one of their towers and get 40-50% Packet loss daily for up to 3-4 hours.

When it does work its OK.

And this was a supposed HSPA service area as well in East-London in a major suburb.

Been fighting since November last year for a refund..

 

[Sodan]

Could I test the signal quality using a Nokia Navigator? If not, what's the cheapest way I could test the signal to see if I can do what I need to do using Cell C's outside-of-HSPA-coverage network?

 

[Terencek]

I can speak from experience, having coped with Cell C EDGE or less for months now because their 'roaming' agreement with Vodacom does not allow faster speeds when Cell C is 'piggybacking' on a Vodacom tower -- which is the case in my area.

Until a couple of weeks ago it was just about acceptable, given the super-low price, but my local data signal then became virtually unusable and I now have a technical query logged with their helpdesk. To be fair they have been super-impressive in their response and I'm hoping they can restore the signal at least to what it was.

Bottom line for your query though: if you can live with speeds somewhere between old dial-up and EDGE wherever there isn't a fancy new Cell C dedicated tower, then it's worth it for the price. Just don't expect too much.

 

[Fishzn]

So if you're in the EDGE area there is no way of getting the HSDPA speeds? I'm currently in the edge area and get about -53dBm when using MDMA to monitor, I am correct that even an external antenna pointed in the direction of the nearest coverage wouldn't help? I'm about 700- 1.5km away from the nearest area that is covered by Cell C HSDPA. I would appreciate the help as I want to buy Shake and bakes data sim but am now unsure after purchasing a normal prepaid data sim to test

 

[Fishzn]

Ok so I solved my problem it seems with some investigation. I was using the sim with MDMA and had 3g preferred so it was hooking up probably to the closest cell tower in the area. But once I switched it to 3g only the modem switched to another Cell tower that is HSPA+ enabled!! Yay In addition I'm getting -69dBm from this tower- heres my speedtest result: http://www.speedtest.net/result/1241309065.png - so maybe if you're just outside the coverage area you must force 3G for it to connect and work.

 

[HideInLight]

Wouldn't recommend it, I was happily on EDGE for 4months, until now almost 3 weeks ago. It's become unusable ever since and I don't see it getting fixed. The problem also appears to be spreading with no fix in sight.
All those gigs going to waste...

 

[Cell_C]

Wouldn't recommend it, I was happily on EDGE for 4months, until now almost 3 weeks ago. It's become unusable ever since and I don't see it getting fixed. The problem also appears to be spreading with no fix in sight.
All those gigs going to waste...

@ HideInLight, where are you located...?

 

[Mars]

I am outside the Full signal area and as long as there are no storms, I get a stable 2mgs and a ping of about 70. My RSSI in good weather is -76, in bad weather it goes up to -89.

I have installed an external areal, and with the help of Willie (NSN_PartnerSupport011) got it pointed in the right direction.

 

[Deep78]

with my exp after getting the 2gig ver ... there is no speed at all !!! first month was horrible, got better for a bit and again
last week the speeds have been disgusting when its good i get around 1 - 1.5meg when its bad less then 2k even though
my connection is good seems like they have back haul issues !!!

 

[Terencek]

Wouldn't recommend it, I was happily on EDGE for 4months, until now almost 3 weeks ago. It's become unusable ever since and I don't see it getting fixed. The problem also appears to be spreading with no fix in sight.
All those gigs going to waste...

It starts to look as if this is a general, not local problem. I'm now into my third week of exactly the same, though I got a Cell C reference number three days ago and a promise it would be addressed. Still no improvement though -- what was a previously usable EDGE signal is now virtually dead in the water.

 

[Sodan]

Jislaaik, you ouens are scaring me. I'd love to support Cell C, but when I say "support", I don't mean outright charity. I can live with EDGE speeds, but a virtually "dead" connection..? Looks like I might have to simply pass on this offer, unless Cell C can convince me otherwise.

 

[Terencek]

If it helps in your decision-making, Cell C users in our area are now into our FOURTH WEEK of virtually unusable data, where we used to have a perfectly good GPRS/EDGE signal. But I've still got a fancy reference number....