Stop saying the price of data is going up in South Africa – It isn’t

Kevin Lancaster said:
South Africans have a tendency to make out that something is worse than it really is.
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Media types have a tendency to sow discontent and fearmongering, as well as speak in ridiculous generalities in all of their articles.

All of them.

All the time.

Everywhere.

/

Can we stop with sensationalist journalism and just report things?
 
UrBaN963 said:
Media types have a tendency to sow discontent and fearmongering, as well as speak in ridiculous generalities in all of their articles.

All of them.

All the time.

Everywhere.

/

Can we stop with sensationalist journalism and just report things?
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+1
 
Who on earth is saying data prices are increasing , EVERYONE is saying it needs to decrease , it's been R149 for 1gig of data from vodacom for way too long , while other data services are becoming cheaper.

Or is this just a different spin to sensationalize a non-statement to make the Mobile operators look better?

PS Also the OOB Shark needs to be dragged out of the sea and shot, OOB has been R2 for allmost a decade, how can mobile operators justify that?
 
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Wtf are you talking about Jan? Who's saying data prices are going up?
 
You need to start defining data into categories:

1. Mobile 24 month contracts (requires credit check, lots of documentation, major hassle)
note: Prices varies massively, around R30 -> R50 a gig, than you get promos like MTN 50Gig LTE per month. If you lucky to earn a big enough salary, you might get some value for money.

2. Mobile month to month contract (afrihost and axxess provides these options).
note: Around R50 a gig, still hassle since you must ship the sim to get LTE.

3. Mobile prepaid data
note: HERE IS THE MAJOR PROBLEM, THIS IS WHAT THE AVERAGE JOE WOULD BUY

R100 -> R150 Gig which is a complete and utter Ripoff.
USSD *111#, buy bundle.
USSD *147#
USSD *141*2#

That method.

4. Pay upfront for 12 months
note: CELLC GIGA200 and GIGA100
Most affordable hassle free (except for poor network) option. This is what the price of data should be. Unfortunately a lot of people can only finance month to month, and you get 5 to 10 times less value.

conclusion: #prepaiddatamustfall and #adslmuststripnaked would of been a more accurate representation of the current situation including #ancstophoardingspectrum
 
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HideInLight said:
3. Mobile prepaid data
note: HERE IS THE MAJOR PROBLEM, THIS IS WHAT THE AVERAGE JOE WOULD BUY

R100 -> R150 Gig which is a complete and utter Ripoff.
USSD *111#, buy bundle.
USSD *147#
USSD *141*2#

That method.

4. Pay upfront for 12 months
note: CELLC GIGA200 and GIGA100
Most affordable hassle free (except for poor network) option. This is what the price of data should be. Unfortunately a lot of people can only finance month to month, and you get 5 to 10 times less value.
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3. While at Telkom all network data (that means you can roam on MTN at H+ speed) 1GB is R99, 2GB is R139 and 3GB is R199 and it last until the end of the month of the next month.

4. There are also Telkoms Internet Starter packs (for example, once off R499 that will give you 1GB per month for 12 months for example, works out to R41.53 per GB).
 
Slootvreter said:
And R2 per MB OOB, because, you know, to encourage us to buy bundles. TSEK
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+1

What also riles me is that when you do buy (top up), it has an expiry date! Why is that :wtf: If you topup it's yours isn't it? Why do they behave like you borrowed it momentarily :confused:
 
The same goes with TopUp airtime. It has expiry date! This country is, jy weet :wtf:
 
Nick333 said:
Wtf are you talking about Jan? Who's saying data prices are going up?
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FaSMaN said:
Not even google can find a recent a article that said mobile data prices are increasing .... https://www.google.co.za/#q=mobile+...r=countryZA&tbs=ctr:countryZA,qdr:w&start=0&*

So Jan, where are you getting this from?
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The idea isn't to single out people, especially not if they write for other tech sites. Backstreetboy has it right that I've seen this being stated as fact more frequently since the #DataMustFall campaign.

You won't see an article dedicated to the statement - it's just mentioned in passing in articles about something related, without any evidence or justification. It's just something people seem to be starting to believe. Hence this article.

I realise it isn't really aimed at anyone on this forum. You're all generally a clued-up bunch.
 
FaSMaN said:
PS Also the OOB Shark needs to be dragged out of the sea and shot, OOB has been R2 for allmost a decade, how can mobile operators justify that?
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Slootvreter said:
And R2 per MB OOB, because, you know, to encourage us to buy bundles. TSEK
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But Vodacom has cut their OOB prices!*

* To R1.50 per MB**

** If you are on Vodacom's Power Bonus Prepaid Price Plan

Jokes aside, if you look beyond Vodacom, other operators are doing interesting things around OOB. Cell C had their OOB rates at R0.99, but recently hiked them to R1.10, if memory serves (OK let me just go look these things up... <time passes> I was right.)

MTN reduces your OOB rate when you buy a bundle.

Telkom's OOB rates on prepaid are the best in the business. It also blocks you from going OOB unless you opt-in... on contract and prepaid.

If you look at MVNOs like Afrihost, Axxess, Crystal, and FNB, there are also some cool OOB options there - including blocking it.
 
Thanks Jan that makes a whole lot more sense, just the headline makes it sound like a regular statement :)
 
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