The great data roaming rip-off

[Creag]

This is scary...

“Bill shock” is a growing problem for SA travellers. They go overseas, and, before they know it, they’ve run up a bill of thousands of rand — without even making a phone call.

The problem is, as with roaming voice charges, the mobile operators impose exorbitant fees for roaming data — in some cases more than R100 000/GB! And with smartphones, which are constantly polling the network looking for updates to e-mail and other services, consumers can quickly run up monster-sized bills.

MTN, for instance, charges in minimum increments of 25KB. It warns in the small print on its website that smartphone users must disable all data features before they travel abroad.

“Failing to do so will result in you being charged the minimum billing increment each time your device connects to the mail server, even if no new mail is sent or received,” MTN says.

And those 25KB increments are worth their virtual weight in gold. Roaming in Europe, for instance, costs R2,70 per 25KB. That’s roughly R108/MB, or R108 000/GB. North America is even more expensive at R140 000/GB.

Vodacom and Cell C aren’t much different. Roaming rates in Europe are R128/MB, or R128 000/GB, on Vodacom.

However, Vodacom charges its subscribers in smaller, 10KB increments. Cell C’s billing increment varies, and, although it’s rates are harder to compare as they also vary by country, its data roaming rates are roughly in line with the high fees charged by the other two operators.

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No more roaming for me.

 

[ksweb]

I was recently victim to MTN Data Roaming practice. 45MB for just over 5000 ex vat.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Stop blaming the South African networks, doing so will only show your ignorance!

Roaming is billed by the other network, and not your local one. Even the BBC highlighted this during the Beijing Olympics by warning UK mobile users that roaming charges where R600 Mb (50 pounds). Even Vodacom3g had explained in much detail to many forumanites about roaming charges.

 

[Maddmatt]

Stop blaming the South African networks, doing so will only show your ignorance!

Don't the South African networks do the same to visitors to SA?

 

[Creag]

Don't the South African networks do the same to visitors to SA?

Going to leave a poor impression about us.

 

[Arthur]

Just back from 10 days in the USA, where I used Vodacom data roaming extensively. Waiting for the shock ...

 

[bwana]

When I travel I still use my blackberry (as long as there is a decent roaming partner available) because thanks to the compression it's still worth it for email, but I throw a local sim into my other phone for day to day use.

I hope those coming to SA are willing to put up with the RICA nonsense and get themselves a local sim.