Geekzone: technology news, blogs, forums
Guest
Welcome Guest.
You haven't logged in yet. If you don't have an account you can register now.


jonathan18

7413 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified
Trusted

#154209 21-Oct-2014 11:33
Send private message

Can anyone (in particular a Skinny rep) advise how casual data is charged?

I understand the new rate is 20c/MB, but over what period of time does data usage get collated to be charged?

I found the following in Skinny's T&Cs:

"Skinny's standard data rates are calculated based on usage and billed in 5KB blocks, rounded up to the nearest 5KB at the end of each session or every 15 minutes (whichever comes first), and a minimum charge of 1c per session applies."

Does this, in effect, mean small and infrequent uses of data will be only charged to the nearest 5KB? Or does some rounding occur where data is rounded to the nearest MB? (I'm assuming the former, based on the quote above, but wanted to be clear as to its meaning amd whether I'm missing something from this equation.)

Context: I'm wondering whether it's far more cost-effective for those using casual rates to use data to message (via an app such as Whatsapp) as opposed to paying that grossly inflated sum of 20c per SMS. Of course, even if it's charged at 20c per usage (ie per message sent via a data-using app) it'll be the same cost as an SMS, but I'm assuming from the T&C quote above it'll be only a subset of that 1MB of data (therefore a proportion of the 20c/MB), based on the quantity used in the session or over 15 minutes, which is likely to be a relatively small amount of data if only sending the occasional message.

I understand this isn't relevant for most people, given they're on some kind of plans, but there are still some out there who rely on casual data rates, and will be impacted badly by this significant hike in SMS charges (which, I note, Skinny has failed to explain). My wife, for exanple, has a work phone, so it's really not worth her being on a plan just for the periods where she's carrying/using her personal phone.

Thanks.

Filter this topic showing only the reply marked as answer Create new topic
openmedia
3325 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

  #1159247 21-Oct-2014 14:24
Send private message

You'd have to restrict your apps so that only Whatsapp is using data otherwise all android apps will try and use your adhoc data.




Generally known online as OpenMedia, now working for Red Hat APAC as a Technology Evangelist and Portfolio Architect. Still playing with MythTV and digital media on the side.




LivingSkinny
513 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted
Skinny

  #1159543 21-Oct-2014 19:58
Send private message

 

 

 

The per-session and intermediate charges are rounded up to the nearest 5Kb, with a minimum charge 1 cent.

 

 

 

Closing of data sessions can also be initiated by the handset.


Filter this topic showing only the reply marked as answer Create new topic





News and reviews »

Air New Zealand Starts AI adoption with OpenAI
Posted 24-Jul-2025 16:00


eero Pro 7 Review
Posted 23-Jul-2025 12:07


BeeStation Plus Review
Posted 21-Jul-2025 14:21


eero Unveils New Wi-Fi 7 Products in New Zealand
Posted 21-Jul-2025 00:01


WiZ Introduces HDMI Sync Box and other Light Devices
Posted 20-Jul-2025 17:32


RedShield Enhances DDoS and Bot Attack Protection
Posted 20-Jul-2025 17:26


Seagate Ships 30TB Drives
Posted 17-Jul-2025 11:24


Oclean AirPump A10 Water Flosser Review
Posted 13-Jul-2025 11:05


Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7: Raising the Bar for Smartphones
Posted 10-Jul-2025 02:01


Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 Brings New Edge-To-Edge FlexWindow
Posted 10-Jul-2025 02:01


Epson Launches New AM-C550Z WorkForce Enterprise printer
Posted 9-Jul-2025 18:22


Samsung Releases Smart Monitor M9
Posted 9-Jul-2025 17:46


Nearly Half of Older Kiwis Still Write their Passwords on Paper
Posted 9-Jul-2025 08:42


D-Link 4G+ Cat6 Wi-Fi 6 DWR-933M Mobile Hotspot Review
Posted 1-Jul-2025 11:34


Oppo A5 Series Launches With New Levels of Durability
Posted 30-Jun-2025 10:15









Geekzone Live »

Try automatic live updates from Geekzone directly in your browser, without refreshing the page, with Geekzone Live now.



Are you subscribed to our RSS feed? You can download the latest headlines and summaries from our stories directly to your computer or smartphone by using a feed reader.