Vadocom's 3G

onionpeel too bad I didn't read this sooner... I spoke to Vodacom a few mins ago. My Contract is about to end so I'm looking at upgrade options...

Conversation with Vodacom (Upgrade dept)

Me: I need to upgrade soon - can I pre-book a phone (on my other contract I had to wait a month for a SE T630)
Vodacom: No you can only book a phone if you qualify for an upgrade...
Me: If I want to upgrade sooner?
Vodacom: You need to meet the minimum requirements...
Me:And those are?
Vodacom: Spend at least R1300 pm on whatever contract etc...
Me: Ok I qualify... now can I get the info? What 3G phones do you have.
Vodacom: We launched the 3G network on 1 Dec. We currently only have one phone capable of 3G.
Me: So when are you getting the SonyEricsson Z1010? And can I prebook one?
Vodacom: You'll have to find out from SonyEricsson..
Me: What is the 3G priceing?
Vodacom: I'll transfer you back to helpdesk...
Me: Thnx, I'll phone them later...

Conversation with SonyEricsson

Me: When are you launching the SE Z1010?
SE: When the networks support 3G
Me: They already do... They've been running beta for months... and I was told its been launched.
SE: We don't import phones - it's the networks that bring them in.

Ok so back to Vodacom. (Helpdesk)

Me: When are you bringing in the SE Z1010?
Vodacom: {Seems confused} *Calls helpdesk support.*
Me: {Waiting}
Vodacom: Sorry you'll have to speak to SonyEricsson.
Me: {Getting mildly agitated - been on the phone for more than 40 mins and getting a headace} I already did - they said to speak to you guys.
Vodacom: Er.. *Calls helpdesk support.*
Vodacom: Please hold
Vodacom: Please hold
Vodacom: Please hold
Vodacom: Please hold
Vodacom: Sorry we only launch 3G in February...
Me: {Getting confused} And the phone?
Vodacom: We have no plans to launch the SE 1010 in the near future...
Me: {bullshit - its the same story they fed me in Feb! (read older posts)} Grumble... thnx for your help..

Can anyone give me an informed opinion here?

This was a very shortened and opinionated transcript of the conversations
 
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lol, I love call centre transcripts! We should have a sticky thread dedicated to them in my opinion.
 
Vodacom has a department which tests (amongst other things) phones which are to be sold by Vodacom affiliated service providers.
Service providers can buy the phones once the phones have passed network testing. You could buy a cellphone from Cell C - the latest and greatest which Vodacom hasn't got on sale, and then put your Vodacom SIM in the phone.
There is a good chance that there will be some obscure (or not so obscure?) problem which would be particular to that phone being used on Vodacom's network.

Having played around briefly on the 3G network (3G data card in this particular case), I can say that ping times are not good, as one would undoubtably expect from a wireless network. Pinging seems to have been blocked (I used 32 bytes default), so only the first hop gave a reading... averaging around 300ms, but then you aren't going to ditch your ISDN or ADSL to play games over UMTS are you? :)
 
hArTh said:
R10/mb for VOIP? That must only apply to their proprietary VOIP solution? If you use your own VOIP sw e.g. skype that wouldn't count as VOIP traffic surely?
Click to expand...
In order to bill, you need to identify and measure. :)
 
Will Vodaworld have this tomorrow? I want my 3G card! ;)
 
mc721221 said:
Will Vodaworld have this tomorrow? I want my 3G card! ;)
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I don't have the answer to that. 3G data cards available in limited quantities initially.
 
lol so basically... 1st feb! everything is happening on the first of feb! not 2 far away, 1st of feb my last day of work. Great stuff can get some new toys 2 play with after that
 
In the spirit of competition (South African style), MTN will probably come out with their competitively priced 3G option for R599.95/GB. Shortly afterwards Cell C will compete at R598.99/GB.
 
O/T:

Sadly, that would probably be exactly what happens.

If the politicians want to do something useful, they should pass a law banning prices that have a Rxxxx9.99 in them. I'm so sick of 699 599 1999... companies think we are that stupid we don't realize it's 700 600 2000. Just round the prices up or down so the doffies can figure out they're being ripped off.
 
Retnox said:
So youre saying the local cellular operators are rolling out CDMA 3G rather than GSM 3G? Please elaborate. What are the Pro's and Con's of the two?
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GSM 3G = CDMA ;)

GSM is at a dead end. It is based on an old TDMA standard developed mostly in Europe. Faster systems are now all CDMA-based, a brilliant technology owned by Qualcomm.


hArTh said:
iBurst charges: R600pm / (3GB * 1024 ) = R0.2/mb

MW and ADSL would work out even cheaper ... "uncapped" local bw.

Assuming 3G is of the order of R5/mb per megabyte that's 25X more expensive.

Local cell providers equipment and spectrum couldn't have cost 25X as much.

Try again ...
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What frequency does iBurt use?
 
Oh damn, I'm so sad, I just couldn't wait to rush out and spend a small fortune for something I don't actually need :D
 
Obviously 3G as offered is not much use to a "power user" but it must be a sweet offering for your business road warriors ... which is obviously who they are targeting.

3G is the ideal solution for road warrior:
  1. Multifunction handset (calls, data, ....)
  2. Phones are babe magnets ... go nicely with your Z3
  3. Simple laptop connectivity
  4. Much better coverage than iBurst or MW
  5. Vodacom, MTN are well established companies
  6. Many road warriors already use their services
  7. You get the handset for "free" ... no shelling out R3k for a proprietary device which chains you to a specific service provider.

I don't see how iBurst and MW are going to win the battle for the RW market.
 
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Q's: Onionpeel, if you are allowed to tell us...

LOL, sadly I will be stuck trying to use my adopted pubescent UTD as a babe magnet- somehow I see a 0% success rate on the horizon... :rolleyes:

I've done my bit this year & into the next- early adopting this "tech orphan" made in Japan by Kyocera, sold on the broadband market by WBS :)

If I could afford to adopt one of these poor, malnourished, scrawny, & little 3G orphan packages, I would, but the Network Orphanages want to make me pay so much every month... :eek:

hArTh said:
...Much better coverage than iBurst or MW...
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Believe me, I'm not defending any service provider's coverage here, but any operator's 3G coverage isn't going to be that good to start with, "3G coverage will initially be launched in the major metropolitan areas", so I doubt that N1 between Jhb & Pta is fully covered, or is it?

Onionpeel, do you know if coverage maps are available anywhere (will they be available on official launch?), also, is there info somewhere detailing planned expansion of coverage?
 
I signed up for 3G today. They say that I get my card in two days.
 
ic, as far as I know, the coverage is extensive, but not the entire country (i.e. not the same as existing Vodacom GSM national coverage).
I also recal something along the lines... you will not get hold of a 3G SIM in an area which is not covered by 3G.
I will have to dig a bit more.
 
Road Warrior - LOL !

Makes me think of David Brent in The Office Xmas specials, where he's trying to convince us that working from his car is like being in the Office - classic stuff.

Road Warrior - Bleh - bullshit ! - it's just an excuse to play with another tech toy or rather, an excuse for your employer (assuming you don't have your own business) to make you work even tho your on a lunch break !

Think about it - as an employee with 3G, you can no longer make any excuses to your boss, even when you are on leave they can get hold of you and ask nicely if you wouldn't mind doing this and that as they know you have a high tech high bandwidth connection, Road Warrior that you are.

There you are, sitting on Clifton beach, eyeing out the hotties and your uber high-tech 3G enabled cell phone rings, the boss says "Hey, we've got a major emergency with server XYZ and your the only one available to fix it ", "Boss, I'm on vacation on the beach and am nowhere near my PC", "Bull***** I just called you on your 3G enabled phone that WE are paying for", "Er, ok, I'll get onto it right away sir !"

More like Road Kill if you ask me ! :D
 
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