Telkom LTE Data requirements

[Thepax]

400GB FUP, 2mbps throttled thereafter, with full-speed top-ups at R100/100GB.

More or less what I said too

 

[SykomantiS]

I feel that 400GB with a soft cap thereafter of around 2mbps max should be fair. That lets people do their normal web browsing etc just no more streaming in 4k as that is just a waste. 1080p is already amazing enough.

400GB is perfect

I disagree. Some people have the ability, and have paid what Telkom has asked of them, to be able to stream what they want, when they want- even in 4K.

But, ok, I'm not going to have this argument in two different threads. This is becoming ridiculous.

 

[Noob-Noob]

I feel that 400GB with a soft cap thereafter of around 2mbps max should be fair. That lets people do their normal web browsing etc just no more streaming in 4k as that is just a waste. 1080p is already amazing enough.

400GB is perfect

Yip, Agree 100%

 

[Noob-Noob]

Aaahhhh

Here is that 11% Abusers they were talking about :crylaugh:

 

[HapticSimian]

Aaahhhh

Here is that 11% Abusers they were talking about :crylaugh:

View attachment 390286

Heh. To the percentage point nogal.

Jokes aside, calling 500GB abuse is repeating Telkom's mistake. A couple of game downloads over what many people - myself included - are deeming reasonable and you're there. Which is why I would prefer seeing limitations that still allow the occasional binge. But repeated usage over a terabyte per month? You're taking the piss on a connection provided over our current cellular infrastructure.

 

[Dreadlock_tales]

But repeated usage over a terabyte per month? You're taking the piss on a connection provided over our current cellular infrastructure.

I am going to agree there but in my case, it took me 5 months to reach 1.05TB of usage. I do not see that as abusive at all. yet, I am throttled.

 

[Dreadlock_tales]

I feel that 400GB with a soft cap thereafter of around 2mbps max should be fair. That lets people do their normal web browsing etc just no more streaming in 4k as that is just a waste. 1080p is already amazing enough.

400GB is perfect

people who can afford a 4k TV should be able to afford an uncapped fibre line too obviously if their area has fibre availability

 

[Thepax]

Heh. To the percentage point nogal.

Jokes aside, calling 500GB abuse is repeating Telkom's mistake. A couple of game downloads over what many people - myself included - are deeming reasonable and you're there. Which is why I would prefer seeing limitations that still allow the occasional binge. But repeated usage over a terabyte per month? You're taking the piss on a connection provided over our current cellular infrastructure.

I wonder about that though. I have a normal FHD tv and if watching netflix for a couple of hours a day can rack up 450GB in a month then what will a 4K TV do? I know that there are not many 4K shows available, but that will surely increase. As it is, even with a 400GB threshold I will have to curtail either my(and families) amount of netflix or stream at SD(bleh). But I also agree that 400-500GB is alot of data.

Surely Telkom has the capacity to start shaping/throttling the guys at the top end of the usage first and then progress from there, and then unthrottle the connections during the hours where the network is not taking too much strain or when the "abusers'" connections are throttled.

 

[Noob-Noob]

I am going to agree there but in my case, it took me 5 months to reach 1.05TB of usage. I do not see that as abusive at all. yet, I am throttled.

Check how much you have used this month, send a blank sms to 188 from your router.
Also the throttling has been lifted from this morning, still not sure to what limit. If your speeds are still bad, its not throttling that's causing it..

 

[Thepax]

Check how much you have used this month, send a blank sms to 188 from your router.
Also the throttling has been lifted from this morning, still not sure to what limit. If your speeds are still bad, its not throttling that's causing it..

I am on 218GB and am only getting around 3mbps up and down.

 

[Noob-Noob]

I am on 218GB and am only getting around 3mbps up and down.

Even today, did you test this morning?

 

[HapticSimian]

I wonder about that though. I have a normal FHD tv and if watching netflix for a couple of hours a day can rack up 450GB in a month then what will a 4K TV do? I know that there are not many 4K shows available, but that will surely increase. As it is, even with a 400GB threshold I will have to curtail either my(and families) amount of netflix or stream at SD(bleh). But I also agree that 400-500GB is alot of data.

I think this has been a lesson for both providers and consumers with regards to the limitations of LTE and the like, as well as an illustration of just how dramatically the modern, connected person's or family's data usage is skyrocketing. We can be sure that any similar product launched by anyone in future will have much clearer boundaries set, and in a world where wireless internet cannot yet reasonably support people binging for days in 4K resolution, that's not a bad thing.

Surely Telkom has the capacity to start shaping/throttling the guys at the top end of the usage first and then progress from there, and then unthrottle the connections during the hours where the network is not taking too much strain or when the "abusers'" connections are throttled.

The question's been asked, but others have expressed doubts over whether Telkom's systems (and/or systems engineers, mind you) would even be capable of that. Of course it would be the better solution, but such systems would take time and money to develop, test and implement. We need a quick fix, even if a temporary one.

 

[SykomantiS]

people who can afford a 4k TV should be able to afford an uncapped fibre line too obviously if their area has fibre availability

My friend bought a new 4k tv for cheaper than what I paid for my 1080P- both 55"
Doesn't mean he has R1.6k+ per month for fibre (and even if he did- why should he when this service is available to him), or that he even resides in an area where fibre is an option.

 

[Noob-Noob]

My friend bought a new 4k tv for cheaper than what I paid for my 1080P- both 55"
Doesn't mean he has R1.6k+ per month for fibre (and even if he did- why should he when this service is available to him), or that he even resides in an area where fibre is an option.

Those 4K TV's can play 720p just as well

Is there even a service offering 4K streaming?

 

[SykomantiS]

Those 4K TV's can play 720p just as well

Is there a service even offering 4K streaming?

My understanding is Netflix offers 4K (2160p)- I don't have an account so can't confirm though.
There's also YouTube- I streamed like 2 or 3 five minute clips back when I first got my LTE (did it just to see if I could, since I don't have a 4K tv)

 

[Noob-Noob]

My understanding is Netflix offers 4K (2160p)- I don't have an account so can't confirm though.
There's also YouTube- I streamed like 2 or 3 five minute clips back when I first got my LTE (did it just to see if I could, since I don't have a 4K tv)

i also don't have a 4K TV nor Netflix.
But the 4K TV's i have seen, even though it looks good, the refresh rate / FPS is real bad. Personally I wont be able to watch anything on them. Maybe to show of to friends.
Regarding 1080p and 720p, 2.5m from the TV its not possible to see the difference, so why then not just stream 720p and save data, the file size between the 2 is quite big, with no real difference in quality.

 

[HapticSimian]

Netflix does indeed have some content in 4K, and they suggest a minimum of a 25mb/s connection to stream it reliably.

Regardless, just as abuse has fuzzy lower boundaries but quite distinct upper ones, so too does someone wanting to view 4K streams all day place them firmly among the outliers. Not in any sphere of existence can one satisfy all the whims of everyone, all the time. Telkom thought they could, and look at the glorious mess that's turned into.

 

[AirWolf]

Netflix does indeed have some content in 4K, and they suggest a minimum of a 25mb/s connection to stream it reliably.

Regardless, just as abuse has fuzzy lower boundaries but quite distinct upper ones, so too does someone wanting to view 4K streams all day place them firmly among the outliers. Not in any sphere of existence can one satisfy all the whims of everyone, all the time. Telkom thought they could, and look at the glorious mess that's turned into.

Right idea; wrong implementation.
Intelligent shaping that you mentioned in the email (and here, I think), sounds like the most effective solution. Wonder if they have the people for it though.

 

[Zyzzyva]

I've got a 4K tv and i can tell you it's pretty pointless for most shows unless you are sitting close to the screen. Given the data usage it just isn't something you need to do. Decent bitrate 1080P is just fine 90% of the time. It works well with content designed to showcase 4K but most tv cinematography doesn't really require it.

 

[Thepax]

Even today, did you test this morning?

Yup, just before I left for work.