Who? What? How much?

Pixual

Pixual

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I need to find a suitable broadband solution for home use.

Currently I am using a Nokia N80 connected via USB, feeding off an MTN ProCall 120 contract that I have just renewed for another two years. I am paying R2 per MB and its getting pricy, considering the amount of surfing I do (I develop websites for the photographic industry, so there's a lot of imaging).

I intend buying an Apple MacBook in the next few weeks and it doesn't have a PC card slot, so I am immediately facing a problem in that I can't use any of the wireless options that rely on that hardware.

What's the best option for me? I am happy to use the N80 on the MacBook, but do I really have to keep on paying R2/mb? Can't I get some or other data bundle added onto my ProCall 120 contract that offers me cheaper bandwidth?

ADSL is not an option.
 
If you not keen on a contract just organise a Virgin Mobile sim card. Just make sure your phone isn't sim locked---I dont know if they still lock phones these days but the last two phones I got on Vodacom weren't and I could freely change sim cards.

This should cut your internet costs by 4 times as it's 50c a meg opposed to R2.00 a meg and no contract required therefore quick to set up. Also isn't the N80 edge enabled? if so then bonus :)
 
Thanks for the info.

I'm not that keen on signing a data bundle contract, so I will have a look into the Virgin mobile SIM card option. Will it work on a 3G phone like the N80? Speed?
 
ok so the n80 is 3g. Well unfortunately Virgin Mobile doesn't have any 3g infrastructure at the moment. They have said they will be developing it but this has gone on for a really long time now. So the best you will get at the moment is GPRS speeds (similar to a 56k dial up if not slightly faster).

I suggest calling someone at Virgin and finding out when exactly their 3g will be implemented. They use Cell-C's network so its actually up to Cell-C as far as I gather.

The only advantage you get from Virgin Mobile is that you can roam onto Vodacom's network at any time for no additional cost whatsoever. So you should always get some kind of reception. This doesn't mean that you can use Vodacom's 3g though.

Check it out and see if you can find out exactly when they will have 3g. :)
 
Jonny Two Shoes said:
ok so the n80 is 3g. Well unfortunately Virgin Mobile doesn't have any 3g infrastructure at the moment. They have said they will be developing it but this has gone on for a really long time now. So the best you will get at the moment is GPRS speeds (similar to a 56k dial up if not slightly faster).

I suggest calling someone at Virgin and finding out when exactly their 3g will be implemented. They use Cell-C's network so its actually up to Cell-C as far as I gather.

The only advantage you get from Virgin Mobile is that you can roam onto Vodacom's network at any time for no additional cost whatsoever. So you should always get some kind of reception. This doesn't mean that you can use Vodacom's 3g though.

Check it out and see if you can find out exactly when they will have 3g. :)
Click to expand...
Reports on the forum are that CellC wont be developing 3g any time soon.

http://www.mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=53865
 
AmaZulu said:
Thanks for the info.

I'm not that keen on signing a data bundle contract, so I will have a look into the Virgin mobile SIM card option. Will it work on a 3G phone like the N80? Speed?
Click to expand...

You could get month to month data bundles on your existing MTN contract.
 
AmaZulu said:
Thanks for the info.

I'm not that keen on signing a data bundle contract, so I will have a look into the Virgin mobile SIM card option.
Click to expand...

I don't get it. I'm on a ProCall 120 too, and I use my K-JAM to hook up regularly. First month of use cost me half my right arm :eek: so I added a 10MB bundle to my contract. Costs me R10, I think, and out-of-bundle rates are R1/MB. Straight away I'm saving money. I think that's what Syndyre was trying to say earlier...
 
Raithlin said:
I don't get it. I'm on a ProCall 120 too, and I use my K-JAM to hook up regularly. First month of use cost me half my right arm :eek: so I added a 10MB bundle to my contract. Costs me R10, I think, and out-of-bundle rates are R1/MB. Straight away I'm saving money. I think that's what Syndyre was trying to say earlier...
Click to expand...

Are you sure your out of bundle rates are R1/MB? According to the website they should still be the normal R2/MB on the 10MB bundles. What I was trying to say is that if you're for instance using roughly 300MB of data a month you could get a 350MB bundle for R220, rather than paying R600 for that 300MB, and there's no contractual commitment so if you don't use it you can just cancel it.
 
Syndyre said:
Are you sure your out of bundle rates are R1/MB? According to the website they should still be the normal R2/MB on the 10MB bundles. What I was trying to say is that if you're for instance using roughly 300MB of data a month you could get a 350MB bundle for R220, rather than paying R600 for that 300MB, and there's no contractual commitment so if you don't use it you can just cancel it.
Click to expand...

You're quite right. I have been fooling myself all along. Luckily I don't use very much more than my 10MB. :rolleyes: Regardless, it sounds as if AmaZulu needs more than just a 10MB bundle, so he'd benefit from reduced rates.
 
Raithlin said:
You're quite right. I have been fooling myself all along. Luckily I don't use very much more than my 10MB. :rolleyes: Regardless, it sounds as if AmaZulu needs more than just a 10MB bundle, so he'd benefit from reduced rates.
Click to expand...

Thought maybe you were just benefiting from a glitch on MTN's side. :)
 
I love glitches when they work in my favour of course :) a while back I had totally free GPRS from Vodacom. For months I was downloading for free what would have cost me at least R1000 a month easily. I was on a prepaid contract so I could see if my airtime was going down and it never :)

Sadly though it eventually stopped being free after about 4-6 months or so.

However here is the moral of the story to Vodacom and the rest. If the pricks controlling our internet pricing agreed to give us better value for money they would actually make more money FFS!!!!. Even with Virgin Mobile I was happy to download at 50c a meg although I still think even that is pricey, but I was paying MORE because I was getting MORE for my money hence my internet bill was HIGHER.

When will these stupid people ever get a cramp up their A$$ and actually do something right for once. It's a simple marketing issue that can benefit both the consumers and them. Even though I have a marketing degree I honestly think I wouldn't need one to figure that out.
 
I will be checking out the Virgin option this weekend. Thanks to those who recommended it.

I agree. These nincompoops at MTN and Vodacom need to wake up and realise that they have a golden opportunity to take a MAJOR slice of the broadband market if they would just price it properly. MTN is particular should be itching to stick it to Telkom/Vodacom. Unless of course there is <ahem!> collusion w.r.t. pricing the market. Isn't that illegal?

I can live with GPRS (but I think the Virgin offer does get as fast as EDGE). I'm using it right now, because despite all the hoopla, MTN does not have full 3G coverage in Durban.

Thanks to you all. This is a GREAT website!!
 
Only works if you get 3G reception in your area.

Vodacom doesn't cover Glenwood in Durban with 3G, which is quite interesting since it is the academic and medical mecca of SA. University of Natal, Teachers Training College, Nelson Mandela Medical School, Technikon Natal, St. Augustines Hospital, Entabeni Hospital, King Edward Hospital and the new academic hospital are all within 5kms of where I live, but no 3G coverage.
 
AmaZulu said:
Only works if you get 3G reception in your area.

Vodacom doesn't cover Glenwood in Durban with 3G, which is quite interesting since it is the academic and medical mecca of SA. University of Natal, Teachers Training College, Nelson Mandela Medical School, Technikon Natal, St. Augustines Hospital, Entabeni Hospital, King Edward Hospital and the new academic hospital are all within 5kms of where I live, but no 3G coverage.
Click to expand...
3G only has a 3km radius although you can use it up to 15 or 20 km if you selectively ignore all the other signals. The 6680 also has this problem of ignoring a strong enough 3G signal.
 
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