Vodacom BIS excludes some WhatsApp, MXit data

http://www.vodacom.co.za/personal/m...berry/blackberryusagepolicytermsandconditions

1. No where does it say anything about mail attachments bigger than 4mb will be charged.
2. "Most applications that are downloaded to users make use of the blackberry.net APN. These are currently Vodafone SatNav, Windows Live™ Messenger, Google™ Talk, Flickr®, Facebook® and demonstration games for the BlackBerry® Storm™ smartphone range. The only exception is The Grid application which is downloaded over the BlackBerry.net APN, but does not use the apn for the data traffic that it generates while logged in."
 
I pay for browsing, mail, everything and anything even though I have BIS. Can't wait for my contract to expire - won't bother renewing with vodacom.
 
This was one of the reasons I decided to switch from BB. I love the concept of BIS however I never knew what I was being charged for, thus didn't do much on my phone.
 
While I had my Blackberry it was pretty easy to confirm whether an app used BIS or not. It it tried "TCP/IP" connections it automatically meant APN data. Also, it you kept the APN settings in the options blank, it never went to this.

I used a blackberry for 4 years and I never had an app that I did't know of use normal OOB rates.
 
Did i read correctly that this is only if you have a prepaid BIS, not contract?
 
So what happened to the crooks that crooked the APN and other tech stuff to be able to blow 500gigs? Maybe Vodacom is compensating for their loss.
 
Whatever Vodacom changed I'm happy about it thanks!!
My BIS is faster and I don't care much for apps!!!
Tnx Voda!
 
A couple of relevant points here:

1. Nothing changed on the BIS APN, especially in the way specific protocols are handled. So, the way BIS is working today is EXACTLY the same way it worked yesterday, last week, last month, last year and the year before.

2. One of my guys loaded a pre-paid BIS bundle on a phone today and tested the cr@p out of WhatsApp and MxIT. Extensivly. No data was used across the internet APN. At all.

3. There's always been restrictions on file sizes on BIS over the years. These are enforced by RIM and not the network. Some of these got lifted in newer versions of the OS (hello pirates) and some (like mail attachments) not so much.
 
Haldex said:
Whatever Vodacom changed I'm happy about it thanks!!
My BIS is faster and I don't care much for apps!!!
Tnx Voda!
Click to expand...

Pleasure. Was not related to this storm-in-a-teacup but good to see you've seen an improvement in performance. Where are you based?

I noticed Marine1 is sulking that he can't complain about BIS latency anymore. :)
 
Shadow_sa said:
Ja, i agree with that.How much data does whats up really use, while chatting....
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Just took a look at my watsapp usage stats since I started using it from the June last year:
Total messages:2678
Total bytes: 6.1 MB (including media messages though I just send the odd photo now and then)

Since you asked about chatting:
Message bytes: 2.7 MB
 
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proguy said:
Did i read correctly that this is only if you have a prepaid BIS, not contract?
Click to expand...

The information for the article came from a prepaid user, but support's (apparently incorrect) statements would apply to contract as well.

To be clear: In our testing the *only* frequently used social-type app we found to eat data (R0.02 - R0.50 a pop, if memory serves) was Foursquare.
 
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tsume said:
Just took a look at my watsapp usage stats since I started using it from the June last year:
Total messages:2678
Total bytes: 6.1 MB (including media messages though I just send the odd photo now and then)

Since you asked about chatting:
Message bytes: 2.7 MB
Click to expand...

FTW!
 
I have one question, if Vodacom were able to detect what traffic your BlackBerry was sending before it went into the BIS tunnel, why would they not kill the BB abusers themselves?

I don't have a black berry, and know little about it, but from what I understood your BlackBerry has a secure tunnel between your phone and the BIS servers. The operators don't have control over your traffic at all. It is the job of the phones OS and the applications on the phone to choose the BIS APN or standard Internet APN from the operator. I would defintely first lay blame at the doors of RIM before I do it at the operator.

Occam's Razor: With the fewest assumptions RIM is responsible for BB phones, its working and interworking.
 
jannievanzyl said:
I noticed Marine1 is sulking that he can't complain about BIS latency anymore. :)
Click to expand...
When did I ever complain about latency? Was your usual snotty remark supposed to offend me? :D
I complain about absolute useless speed. I complain about dropped calls all over Sandton.....oh wait its only me right or its my handset right?
Being an expert on all things associated with tech, what you are saying then is if I stand near a VC tower, my speed should be HSDPA right? So why isnt it then? Oh wait its because you guys offer crap service for premium money.
 
marine1 said:
When did I ever complain about latency? Was your usual snotty remark supposed to offend me? :D
I complain about absolute useless speed. I complain about dropped calls all over Sandton.....oh wait its only me right or its my handset right?
Being an expert on all things associated with tech, what you are saying then is if I stand near a VC tower, my speed should be HSDPA right? So why isnt it then? Oh wait its because you guys offer crap service for premium money.
Click to expand...

Can you please explain how you differentiate between latency and speed on your BB?

BTW, I've been living in Sandton for the last 3 months. Don't seem to be able to replicate your dropped call rate. But I'm on an iPhone 4 and a Galaxy Android handset most of the time, not BB.
 
jannievanzyl said:
Can you please explain how you differentiate between latency and speed on your BB?

BTW, I've been living in Sandton for the last 3 months. Don't seem to be able to replicate your dropped call rate. But I'm on an iPhone 4 and a Galaxy Android handset most of the time, not BB.
Click to expand...

Latancy = time taken between activating a link and something happening. Speed = time taken to actually open said link once it starts loading.
 
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