VODACOM PITCHES 3G PRICES LOW

The new R599 package, known as Vodacom 3G One, includes an access modem and 1 GB of bundled data. It applies to data downloaded using its 3G network, which is currently available only in the major urban centres, as well as to the older but slower GPRS network, which provides nationwide coverage.

A gigabyte is the equivalent of a high-quality, full-length feature movie and is probably adequate for most people’s monthly e-mail and Web-browsing needs. If consumers exceed the 1 GB, they will be charged a hefty R10/MB for additional usage.

To qualify for 3G One, consumers will have to sign a 24-month service contract. 3G One, which replaces Vodacom’s MyMeg 500 package, has been priced to compete with wireless offerings from Sentech and WBS. * Sentech offers a 128 Kbit/s service for R650/month, also using a 3G network. This includes an access modem. Faster 256 Kbit/s and 512 Kbit/s products cost R849 and R1 449 respectively. Sentech’s service is not bandwidth capped but network traffic is shaped to give priority to e-mail and Web browsing.

* WBS, which will launch its iBurst service commercially in April, will charge clients R679-R699/month. This provides them with access speeds of up to 1 Mbit/s. The service is capped at 3 GB and the price includes a modem. Network traffic is also likely to be shaped to minimise the impact of the resource-hungry peer-to-peer applications that are used to share music and movies.

The FM can also reveal that Vodacom will charge the same price for video phone calls – using newfangled 3G handsets – as it does for regular voice calls (see table for more tariff details). Video telephony will be available to both contract and prepaid subscribers and will be billed in accordance with subscribers’ existing tariff plans.

Source: http://secure.financialmail.co.za/04/1210/focus/afocus.htm