Rain kills uncapped 4G packages

Mobile network operator Rain has stopped selling its three uncapped 4G packages to new customers.

The change comes after the company launched its fully-fledged national mobile network with support for voice calls and SMS messaging on Thursday.

However, the only way to use the network on a mobile device is to sign up for its new Rain One product.

This plan combines an uncapped 5G home package with two 4G SIMs for phones.

Subscribers can choose between three speeds for their fixed 5G home package and six “levels” of data, minutes, and SMS allocations for the two mobile 4G SIMs.

Rain’s old R499 uncapped 4G for all devices, R319 uncapped 4G for phones, and R265 uncapped 4G 19-hours off-peak plans are no longer available on its website.

Customers who currently have these products can choose to stay on them.

Those who use Rain’s any-device 4G uncapped package for a fixed home connection will get faster maximum speeds by upgrading to Rain One.

Rain’s new packages for home use have maximum speeds starting at 30Mbps, compared to the 10Mbps of its old 4G uncapped package for all devices.

In cases where subscribers do not have Rain 5G coverage at home, the network will allow them to fall back to 4G.

Rain’s terms and conditions explain that the 4G and 5G home products are now effectively treated as one service.

“Rain One means the combination of the 4G Home/5G Home service together with 4G Mobile Services,” it states.

The website’s FAQ states that customers must be in either a 4G or 5G home coverage area to take up the Rain One plan.

Rain’s updated coverage map also shows both 4G and 5G coverage areas.

As shown in the screenshots below, Rain’s 4G and 5G home networks are quite extensive in the country’s most populated areas of Gauteng, Cape Town, and Durban.

Rain 4G/5G home coverage in Gauteng and surrounds

Rain 4G/5G home coverage in Cape Town and surrounds

Rain 4G/5G home coverage in Durban and surrounds

However, Rain One will be of little value to customers who specifically use their 4G SIM for uncapped connectivity on the go, either in a mobile router or in their phone.

These subscribers might prefer to stay on their old plans.

Switching to Rain’s mobile 4G network might also be nonsensical for households that already have fast fibre broadband, unless they want a backup option.

Given that Rain One’s fixed wireless access component is rendered useless for such customers, they will be paying R559 for the two “free” SIM cards with monthly allocations of 2GB data, 60 minutes, and 100 SMSs each on the base plan.

For reference, buying two 2GB data bundles, two 50-minute voice bundles, and two 100 SMS bundles on Vodacom prepaid will cost R482.

For households without access to reliable fixed broadband, or those currently on one of Rain’s old 5G-only plans, Rain One does offer good value.

The table below summarises all the possible combinations of Rain One packages customers can subscribe to.

As with Rain’s previous products, Rain One is a month-to-month service.

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