MTN 75MB Smartphone Service value questioned
Consumers have lashed out at MTN’s newly launched ‘Smartphone Service’ for not offering subscribers enough data and being priced too high considering the low data allowance.
MTN launched their new ‘Smartphone Service’ data bundles yesterday (9 February), essentially offering subscribers a 75MB data bundle for between R29 and R49 per month.
Consumers were quick to point out that the new ‘pro smartphone service’ offerings are basically the same service as MTN’s existing 75MB data bundle which also costs R49. The only difference seems to be a slightly lower out-of-bundle rate with the new offering.
Consumers also highlighted that they can get 100MB of data from Vodacom at R49, which makes MTN’s new service look overpriced.
MTN was asked about the benefits of purchasing the Smartphone Service data bundles instead of the usual data packages, and the operator explained that this package provides better value to entry level smartphone users.
“The MTN Social Networking service allows access to Facebook and MXit only at an affordable rate of R29, and includes a fair use allowance of 75MB. Also, the Opera Mini Browser internet service will benefit customers using the OMB for general internet browsing, searching for information, social networking and more. It costs just R35 and also includes a fair use allowance of 75MB,” MTN said.
The social networking and Opera mini browser offerings do indeed provide entry-level users with a discount over the standard 75MB data bundle, but this is not the case with the pro packages.
Here MTN explained that their Smartphone Service’s out of bundle rate is 50c/MB, while the 75MB internet bundle is 65c/MB.
MTN however confirmed that there is no carryover on the Smartphone Service. “There’s no carryover; the service is renewable on a monthly basis,” said MTN.
This means that MTN’s standard 75MB data bundle users have the benefit of carry-over of unused data while Smartphone Service customers do not have this benefit.
Some subscribers may therefore benefit from using the standard 75MB data bundles rather than the new MTN Pro smartphone packages.
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