Mobile data prices: in-bundle vs out-of-bundle comparison

can we please get something right on this: CellC haven't "increased" their basic OOB rate. The 99c OOB rate has been the case for months. What they have done is to remove the differentials in OOB rate so in each of the points on the lowest OOB rate the 15c has gone to 99c but the highest rate is constant.

This is particularly important because the drop down to 15c was conditional upon a bundle being bought at certain intervals and was designed much around the prepaid bundles from MTN that cause a drop down to 19c per meg OOB but required larger bundle purchases.
 
Paul Hjul said:
can we please get something right on this: CellC haven't "increased" their basic OOB rate. The 99c OOB rate has been the case for months. What they have done is to remove the differentials in OOB rate so in each of the points on the lowest OOB rate the 15c has gone to 99c but the highest rate is constant.
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Before arguing about this, let's agree on common terminology first.

Industry guys use the following nomenclature:

"OOB" are the rates charged when you buy a bundle of some kind of value (data, SMS, or minutes) and then exceed that value.

"Ad-hoc" are the base rates associated with a particular package.

So Cell C's ad-hoc rates were 99c/MB, while their OOB rates were 15c/MB. This has now changed so that OOB == ad-hoc == 99c/MB.
 
industry guys use lots of conflicting nomenclature - take uncapped and unthrottled ...
and drawing a distinction between OOB and ad-hoc only occurs where you have recurring period bundles

but yes if we are going to apply OOB to in excess of the bundle purchased within 30 days but then we can't call Vodacom's prepaid data bundle rates OOB at all because they are absolutely ad-hoc. The R2 markers then should be made N/A and CellC's entirety should be made N/A etc ...

Interestingly though if we want to deal with ad-hoc then CellC can rightly claim to have the lowest ad-hoc data rates.

edited to add:
There is actually an article in this: "CellC has the lowest ad-hoc data rates, should we care"
 
Please don't argue on irrelevant matters. Jan is right to the OOB issue and relevance to the customers. Also important is a fact that Cell C has no mechanism to prevent OOB, existing 15c for 30 days scheme was very convenient to the customers.
 
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Your grasp on what is relevant and irrelevant is a little weak. The failure of CellC to have a kill mechanism on OOB is an additional concern but it certainly isn't a motivation for the 15c teaser rate that CellC ran with.
 
Paul Hjul said:
Interestingly though if we want to deal with ad-hoc then CellC can rightly claim to have the lowest ad-hoc data rates.
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Actually, I think Telkom does. 29c/MB on the SIM-Sonke prepaid tariff.
 
Why not make it 15 across the board, why go for the 99c?
I think ICASA needs to step up, you cannot have affordable internet in the country if their exists ways to drain a customer's money for virtually nothing.
 
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Jan said:
Actually, I think Telkom does. 29c/MB on the SIM-Sonke prepaid tariff.
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I didn't know they went to 29c on ad-hoc will need to check but that would make for an interesting presentation on why SIM-Sonke knocks all other prepaid low ARPU offerings out the water.
 
As can be seen, a 99c/MB out-of-bundle tariffs can be fairly competitive when it comes to data bundles, but as far as data contracts are concerned, Cell C now has the most expensive OOB rate in the country.
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Vodacom's OOB rate for data contracts are R1.00, 1 cent more expensive than CellC, therefore VODACOM has the most expensive OOB rate in the country.
 
My take - CellC are seriously considering roaming on Vodacom's 3G network, so need pricing equivalency because the 15c was too far under the Vodacom roaming charge. CellC have repeatedly stated this as the reason why they havent activated the 3G roaming agreement that they have signed.
 
ScrnScrm said:
My take - CellC are seriously considering roaming on Vodacom's 3G network, so need pricing equivalency because the 15c was too far under the Vodacom roaming charge. CellC have repeatedly stated this as the reason why they havent activated the 3G roaming agreement that they have signed.
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quite possibly, although if they had managed to get sufficient uptake they would have been able to achieve avoiding roaming on VC's 3G network. The call handover issue has gone quiet as well.
 
OOB should be declared illegal... how many more oob sharks will it take while the operators lolz in the pantz.
 
ScrnScrm said:
My take - CellC are seriously considering roaming on Vodacom's 3G network, so need pricing equivalency because the 15c was too far under the Vodacom roaming charge. CellC have repeatedly stated this as the reason why they havent activated the 3G roaming agreement that they have signed.
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If it is true, it would constitute collusion. Watch this space!
 
Praeses said:
Vodacom's OOB rate for data contracts are R1.00, 1 cent more expensive than CellC, therefore VODACOM has the most expensive OOB rate in the country.
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Look at the whole OOB range under data contracts (not top up, not contract bundles). Cell C's lowest (and highest) is 99c. The others offer much lower OOB rates as the size of the bundle increases.

Overall, Cell C's OOB rates on specifically data contracts is more expensive. We can argue about the difference 1c makes all day if you like, but it won't change the facts.

This also doesn't mean that there isn't great value to be had at Cell C.They still offer some of the lowest in-bundle rates on prepaid with those Giga- deals of theirs.
 
ScrnScrm said:
My take - CellC are seriously considering roaming on Vodacom's 3G network, so need pricing equivalency because the 15c was too far under the Vodacom roaming charge. CellC have repeatedly stated this as the reason why they havent activated the 3G roaming agreement that they have signed.
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Then Icasa needs to target Ad Hoc rates just like they targeted call termination rates. Bring them all down to the 30c margin for starters. Don't allow OOB the exceed the ad-hoc.
 
I am annoyed with Cell C. Sure they can change their rates... But they are retards for giving so little notice and not communicating it better. Sure they send out the SMS they did ... But for Joe average that won't mean a thing. They should send out an SMS saying:we recommend you you get a bundle of x, based on your March usage otherwise your bill will be y instead of z from 1 May. a lot of people now will simply not know what is happening until the bill hits them. And sure ... Most of us here won't be fooled. But I am pretty sure if I don't actively intervene my mom's bill will go through the roof and she will have no idea why.

But I think they want to be sneaky. They want people to get caught out. Less than a month's notice? A 500% increase for people locked into a 2 year contract? I am considering porting away... they don't compete on price anymore, they don't compete on reception, they definitely don't compete on service and now they are making sure that I cannot at the beginning of a 2 year contract be sure what the rates will be during the contract? Why would I accept average prices, bad service AND uncertainty? Sign here and we will change things willy nilly? No thanks.
 
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