The price of mobile broadband in South Africa is coming down, slowly but surely. Compared to ADSL it’s usually a more affordable option, anyway. There’s no lines, no installation fees, no monthly line rental costs, and it’s a lot more portable as you can use mobile broadband with smartphones, USB modems, laptops, iPads, etc. And if the data is loaded on to a SIM card, which it usually is at least in my experience, you can switch and put it in different devices on the trot. Mobile broadband is the way forward.
Yes, people who have actually managed to get a line put in by Telkom as long as they live in the right area, can go to some select ISPs and get 1 GB of data at usually low cost. Some even provide data for free for a period, or just as a once off. And they can have multiple ISPs. But there are a lot of other costs, that I mentioned above, that go with it. And like I said, Telkom may not be bothered to come and put in a line in the first place. You stand a better chance if you run a business, preferably nearer, or in the CBD, or if you live in a newer area. If you live in an older area, especially on the urban fringe, then your chances are not good. Telkom also doesn’t like putting lines in because they often get stolen by cable thieves, looking to sell the metals, like copper, inside. Telkom then has WiMax – but the last time I checked, they weren’t really bothering with any new installations, although they will reportedly maintain existing ones.
So apart from that old dinosaur known as dial up, there’s mobile broadband and it’s becoming more and more popular as a cheaper and less hassle alternative to ADSL. There are five main mobile carriers that cater to mobile broadband demands in South Africa: Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, 8ta, and most recently Telkom Mobile – the last two are both owned by Telkom, but are indeed separate networks.
I recently went around looking for the best mobile broadband deals that can be had. Note that I'm focusing on 3G and 4G here, and not any Wi-Fi services.
Legacy customers who subscribe to selected contract deals on the Vodacom network will have their monthly data amounts increased to either 3 GB or 5 GB at no extra cost as of August, 2013.
Vodacom
Vodacom, owned by British company Vodafone, is ranked the number one cellular network in South Africa, – and why wouldn’t they be? They’ve been around longest, since the mid 1990’s. They have over a 50% market share with more than 23 million subscribers.
They have however traditionally been one of the most expensive when it comes to offering mobile broadband deals. Their prepaid data bundles have been quite expensive for some time – unchanged for several years, in fact – with only a recent price drop. 2GB – the entry level; probably the absolute minimum anyone should be looking to get – goes for R249. But Vodacom does have prepaid data bundles that go all the way up to 20 GB, which currently sells for R499 (it was R3620!). This is something I haven't really seen from competitors, who usually stop at about 5 GB or less on a once-off prepaid data bundle deal.
Vodacom’s contract offers are quite enticing, often offering double the amount of data advertised, but half of it is only valid during Night Owl hours, which is between 12 AM and 5 AM. This means if you happen to be the type who burns the candle at both ends (and you can pass a credit check), it may just suit you. Each contract deal has a R202 SIM and connection fee.
Vodacom prepaid data bundles
Data amount
|
Price
|
Validity
|
|---|---|---|
30 MB
|
R12
|
30 days
|
100 MB
|
R29
|
30 days
|
250 MB
|
R59
|
30 days
|
500 MB
|
R99
|
30 days
|
1 GB
|
R149
|
30 days
|
1.2 GB (100 MB x 12)
|
R99 (including modem - was R399)*
|
30 days x 12
|
2 GB
|
R249
|
30 days
|
3 GB
|
R299
|
30 days
|
5 GB
|
R399
|
30 days
|
10 GB
|
R599
|
30 days
|
20 GB
|
R999
|
30 days
|
12 GB (1 GB p/m)
|
R999
|
30 days x 12
|
24 GB (2 GB p/m)
|
R1499
|
30 days x 12
|
All deals listed, except the 12 GB and 24 GB deals, are at a promotional price. Promotional Price.
Vodacom contract deals
Data amount
|
Price
|
Validity
|
|---|---|---|
10 MB
|
R9 p/m
|
30 days x 24
|
30 MB
|
R25 p/m
|
30 days x 24
|
100 MB
|
R49 p/m
|
30 days x 24
|
250 MB
|
R99 p/m
|
30 days x 24
|
500 MB (+ 500 MB Night Owl*)
|
R39 p/m**
|
30 days x 24
|
750 MB
|
R220 p/m
|
30 days x 24
|
1 GB (+ 1 GB Night Owl*)
|
R69 p/m (R79 w/ modem)**
|
30 days x 24
|
1.5 GB
|
R299 p/m
|
30 days x 24
|
2 GB (+ 2 GB Night Owl*)
|
R99 p/m (R109 w/ modem)**
|
30 days x 24
|
2.5 GB
|
R429 p/m
|
30 days x 24
|
3 GB (+ 3 GB Night Owl*)
|
R169 p/m (R179 w/ modem)**
|
30 days x 24
|
5 GB (+ 5 GB Night Owl*)
|
R259 p/m (R269 w/ modem)**
|
30 days x 24
|
10 GB (+ 10 GB Night Owl*)
|
R499 (R509 w/ modem) p/m**
|
30 days x 24
|
20 GB (+ 20 GB Night Owl)
|
R999 p/m (was R2859)
|
30 days x 24
|
Off peal hours on the Vodacom network are between 12 AM and 5 AM. Promotional price. All deals require a R202 sim and connection fee.
