Up to 95% off SMS prices

A few niggles which I don't like :


"Our customers will now pay as little as four cents per SMS at any time of the day, depending where they are located. They no longer have to wait for off-peak times to SMS their family and friends."
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It do sounds good, BUT...

MTN Zone features a dynamic pricing model that optimizes network utilization by offering discounts to customers in areas that have network capacity available. This stimulates increased usage at different times of the day other than off-peak times.
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Does that means that if the network is not congested, it's cheap, and when it's congested, it's expensive? :confused:

MTN Zone features a dynamic pricing model that optimizes network utilization by offering discounts to customers in areas that have network capacity available. Different discounts are offered depending on the caller's location and the time of day.
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So does that give them an excuse not to give you cheap SMS'es?

Sorry, but I'm very sceptical after all these disappointments and setbacks so far.
 
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And now we wait for Vodacom to follow suit and steal MTN's thunder with more invasive marketing.
 
Uhm, here's the thing. SMSes use the base station control channels and doesn't eat any more or less network capacity over the air, than was already allocated.

Hence, offering cheaper SMSes in "underutilised" areas, is simply silly. It isn't cheaper spectrum, or capacity wise to transmit an SMS in an underutilised area, so tying the pricing to an underutilised area is just wrong.
 
TheRoDent said:
Uhm, here's the thing. SMSes use the base station control channels and doesn't eat any more or less network capacity over the air, than was already allocated.

Hence, offering cheaper SMSes in "underutilised" areas, is simply silly. It isn't cheaper spectrum, or capacity wise to transmit an SMS in an underutilised area, so tying the pricing to an underutilised area is just wrong.
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Ah, so my suspicions was not unfounded - as their spin gives them leeway to raise their prices should they need the profits...
 
TheRoDent said:
Uhm, here's the thing. SMSes use the base station control channels and doesn't eat any more or less network capacity over the air, than was already allocated.

Hence, offering cheaper SMSes in "underutilised" areas, is simply silly. It isn't cheaper spectrum, or capacity wise to transmit an SMS in an underutilised area, so tying the pricing to an underutilised area is just wrong.
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Those are the same control channels hat manage the calls themselves, so there is some sense in this.

- Low call volumes-> underutilised control channels->capacity available for SMS's.
- High call volumes-> utilised control channels->less capacity available for SMS's.
 
Aaahhh. Sweet. Look how V3G jumps to MTN's defence.

Trying to justify the high SMS charges when they do not actually use anywhere near the capacity one would imagine they would.

We need this anti-competitive/ pricefixing nonsense to end. Now.
 
I don't need sms discount. I will be a happy man if they were to give up 95% discount on data bundle usage.
 
I just called them to enable it. They told me I can't because I'm not a top-up costumer. I'm what they now call a "post-paid" customer. In the good old days it was called a "contract" customer.

You'd think that after 12 years of being an MTN subscriber on the same number they would cut me some slack.
 
cookiemonster said:
Yes, if you don't mind bad quality calls that get dropped half the time. Unlimited SMS's on Virgin therefore becomes a necessity! :D
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-1
I send 1000+ sms's monthly, use the data on my phone and make and recieve calls with no more hassles than my vodacom ever gave me without the free sms's.

Its really not bad guys, maybe 6 to 12 months ago but its hectic stable now:)
 
So I must be a Prepaid customer to pay 4c per SMS. If I'm a "Post Paid" customer I have to pay 80c per sms or buy a bundle and it works out to 21c per sms.

So I guess that MTN prefer to have no contract subscribers and only pay as you go customers.
 
When will MTN deliver some real value to subscribers? You know, the loyal base that signs the 24 month contracts?

I mean aside from the pointless restructuring of contracts which has resulted in no change to my cell phone bill
 
kolakidd said:
When will MTN deliver some real value to subscribers? You know, the loyal base that signs the 24 month contracts?

I mean aside from the pointless restructuring of contracts which has resulted in no change to my cell phone bill
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But most likely it resulted in less talk time, more expensive calls at peak (or non-peak) times, etc.
MTN SP are useless when it comes to deals and supporting their contract customers.

The only market they're interested in is the pre-paid market and even then, depending on what pre-paid package you're on, even with 95% discount on calls through MTN Zone, and now adding 95% (possible) discount on SMSs, it's still more expensive than a default package which you use and top up when you want.
 
I read on MTN site that MTN Zone is now also availible on contract (Anytime etc.) Only thing is you pay a fix amount and dont get discount on calls (Set at R2.50 and R3.00) unless you're in the ZONE ;)
 
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