Rain launches standalone mobile service
Rain has launched a standalone month-to-month 4G SIM offering with 2 GB of data, 60 minutes, and 100 SMS messages for R165 per month.
The mobile network operator discontinued its standalone mobile data offering when it launched RainOne last year.
Existing customers were able to keep their standalone fixed wireless access and mobile data package.
However, new subscribers had to buy RainOne, which includes an uncapped fixed-5G service and SIMs for mobile devices that receive an allocation of data, minutes, and SMSes every month.
The new RainMobile SIM receives the same monthly allocation of data, minutes, and SMS messages as RainOne subscribers with their bundled SIM.
For the duration of August, Rain is running a promotion that will provide RainMobile users with an additional gigabyte of data when they have depleted 80% of their allocation.
Once the promotion has elapsed, users must purchase additional data, minutes, and SMSs from the RainGo app.
To see how Rain’s new offering shapes up price-wise, MyBroadband compared it to similar products from mobile networks in the market, focusing on voice and data-centric products.
Afrihost’s AirMobile prepaid eSIM is the most affordable and comes in at R124.40 when selecting the same allocations as RainMobile.
This will consist of two 1 GB allocations at R30 each, 60 minutes at R0.64 each, and 100 SMSs at R0.26 each. Airmobile is an MVNO that runs on the MTN network.
Telkom has a very good offering for allocations similar to RainMobile. The telco’s FlexOn 2 contract bundle comprises 2GB of data, 75 minutes, and 500 SMSs for R129 per month.
Rain’s new mobile product comes in cheaper than Vodacom, MTN and Cell C’s closest offerings.
MTN’s best-competing deal is a prepaid combo of 1.5 GB of data and 100 minutes, coming in at just above RainMobile for R169 per month.
A bonus of this is that it offers 5G coverage in parts of the country, whereas RainMobile is strictly 4G.
Cell C has a contract bundle consisting of 1.5 GB of data and 200 SMSs for R189 per month, R24 more than Rain.
Similarly, Vodacom’s closest offering is over R100 more than the RainMobile package, priced R279.
The Vodacom, MTN, and Cell C bundles include SMSs.
The table below shows how RainMobile compares to the offerings of mobile network competitors in South Africa.
| Network | Data | Minutes | SMS | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AirMobile | 2 GB | 60 | 100 | R124.40 |
| Telkom | 2 GB | 75 | 500 | R129 (x24 months) |
| Rain | 2 GB | 60 | 100 | R165 (month-to-month) |
| MTN | 1.5 GB anytime 1.5GB night 1.5GB video | 100 | – | R169 |
| Cell C | 1.5 GB | 200 | – | R189 (x24 months) |
| Vodacom | 2.4 GB | 100 | – | R279 (x24 months) |
RainOne Home and RainOne Work
Rain recently launched a business package based on its RainOne Home product that includes unlimited fixed-5G data and five 4G mobile SIMs.
The only difference between Work and Home is that RainOne Work has two additional SIM cards and costs R200 more.
Rain told MyBroadband that RainOne Work was designed to help small businesses stay connected while allowing them to control their spending with a single plan for fixed wireless broadband and mobile connectivity.
The standard package starts at R795 for uncapped 5G at 30Mbps and 5 SIM cards with 2GB of data, 60 minutes and 100 SMS each.
Customers have the option of upgrading the speed of their package to either 60Mbps or 100Mbps.
Upgrading to 60Mbps is an additional R200 per month. The 100Mbps upgrade is an extra R400.
There are also five levels of data and minutes upgrades customers can choose from.
Customers can upgrade the data per SIM card, ranging from 3GB to 7GB per month.
Minutes can be upgraded in increments of 30 minutes per level, reaching a maximum of 210 minutes.
Customers also have access to the zero-rated RainGo platform, allowing users to assign SIMs and top them up.
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