-
Join the MyBroadband community
South Africa’s biggest forum. Discuss, discover, and connect with thousands of members.
-
Question of the Day: Will you be subscribing to the new Disney+ R49 streaming package?
Where ADSL is going in SA: capped vs uncapped
- Thread starter Kevin Lancaster
- Start date
-
- Tags
- adsl
Polling ISPs about relative uptake of capped or uncapped is like asking estate agents if now is a good time to buy property!
Uncapped accounts are a nightmare to them as they need to compete but also control. If their service is too good they attract the abusers.
I've seen the maths from my own experience in launching data bundles:
* Customers who don't reach caps are big margin for the ISP. That's usually the majority.
* Customers who exceed the cap pay extra (at a premium) - that's jackpot for the ISP.
* Customers only get full value if they hit exactly 100% of cap each month
Uncapped accounts are a nightmare to them as they need to compete but also control. If their service is too good they attract the abusers.
I've seen the maths from my own experience in launching data bundles:
* Customers who don't reach caps are big margin for the ISP. That's usually the majority.
* Customers who exceed the cap pay extra (at a premium) - that's jackpot for the ISP.
* Customers only get full value if they hit exactly 100% of cap each month
rrh
Expert Member
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2005
- Messages
- 4,059
- Reaction score
- 522
+10
It is the shareholder's company and their money. If you don't like it, you are welcome to find a NPO ISP and switch to them
Sonic2k
Executive Member
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2011
- Messages
- 7,636
- Reaction score
- 4
Let me set you straight mate:
Uncapped:
* Internet virtually unusable during the day. Wanna use GMail? FORGET IT!
* Have devices at home that depend on internet? Apple TV, etc? They will complain about not being able to reach Apple's servers
* At 17:00:00 the internet suddenly works, then everyone gets home, and starts up Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, etc and the internet goes back to being crap until after 11pm.
* Download more than 200 Gbytes in a month? Depending on ISP, throttling will start...
Capped:
* Always works, even during the day
* You get what you pay for (if you are on Afrihost, this is NOT the case)
* Not shaped / throttled into the ground
* Works okay-ish during peak times
* Good for those like me who need stuff to work during the day. Thinking of using IP cameras?, VPN, etc.. This is what you need.
The uncapped article explains what's wrong with ISPs.. They contend a pipe and promoted uncapped as a business strategy which is burning them. Also pretty much works like electricity and peak power.. i.e. Capacity to handle peak demand might not be modeled correctly but what do you expect when you allow people to leave 2-3TB.
Notice for MWeb they feel it's working.. Why? Because they refuse to allow leaches people to kill the network for others. As much as it sucked, placing a max and avg max on uncapped was the way to go and on faster lines this is needed else you risk dragging all users down capped & uncapped
Notice for MWeb they feel it's working.. Why? Because they refuse to allow leaches people to kill the network for others. As much as it sucked, placing a max and avg max on uncapped was the way to go and on faster lines this is needed else you risk dragging all users down capped & uncapped
Sonic2k
Executive Member
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2011
- Messages
- 7,636
- Reaction score
- 4
I don't have a problem, they should just give me what I pay for... is that too much to ask?
ThinkCentre
Expert Member
I support this initiative completely!
elvis_presley
Expert Member
Strangely, FTTH is going in the opposite direction; I'm talking to a number of them for my community initiative and it looks like the market is slowly tending towards 100mbit uncapped for about R2k on open access networks; Telkom FTTH will always favour capped, because they're idiots and it's still got the IPC model for "open", which favours capped account price models.
I have had uncapped for over a decade. My TV comes entirely though my Apple TV (MWeb as my ISP). And I have never had a single problem (Other than once when there was a issue with the line). Not once
Sonic2k
Executive Member
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2011
- Messages
- 7,636
- Reaction score
- 4
Either you are very lucky or you are not telling us the whole story.
I was on MWEB uncapped... then they changed policy and then I had to find a new ISP.
Changed what policy? I use iTunes, Netflix, Hulu+ and HBO every day. Works perfectly. And I never have to worry about managing some 'cap'.
EDIT : Unless you torrent stuff. In which case, I have no sympathy
phoneJunky
Executive Member
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2009
- Messages
- 6,774
- Reaction score
- 548
I am the same boat, although I don't watch every day, but I don't have an aerial or dish. I am with MWEB and stream Netflix for a household of 3 and we are fine on a 4 Meg Standard account. Had a latency issue (when every one had an issue with them) with them while gaming, but other than that it has been fine.
Sonic2k
Executive Member
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2011
- Messages
- 7,636
- Reaction score
- 4
Yes I torrent stuff and that is my perogative.
medicnick83
Paramedic
I've personally gone from uncapped packages to capped packages (specifically Afrihost) and definitely do much less data (probably because I have to pay for it now) but I am also alot more funny about what I download.
I also am happy with high speeds instead of these excuses that people like MWEB and OpenWeb give you.
I also am happy with high speeds instead of these excuses that people like MWEB and OpenWeb give you.
I'm on Mweb Business uncapped and I've noticed a large increase in shaping over the past 6 months.
I recently was having issues loading gmail in the middle of the day but after complaining to Mweb guy, some resetting on their side seems to have sorted that out.
Still shaped to hell though.
I recently was having issues loading gmail in the middle of the day but after complaining to Mweb guy, some resetting on their side seems to have sorted that out.
Still shaped to hell though.
sand_man
Honorary Master
What line speed? And what package and price? What is your average monthly usage more or less?
deweyzeph
Honorary Master
How did you manage that when uncapped ADSL has only been around for a few years? Unless you had a diginet line.