MMS Charges

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › MMS Charges

PaulBags

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#130915 2-Oct-2013 15:32

Why isn't MMS charged as data? Why are the costs so well hidden, instead of clearly displayed along with all the other casual charges? I know what they say about assumptions, but with no mention of mms and it essentally being data that's what I assumed. I'm glad I realised after one mms and not several.

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#906508 2-Oct-2013 16:00

Because it has to use a fairly specific APN and gateway rather than the normal data APN. In most cases it's much cheaper to use eMail\Viber\Whatsapp or pretty much any other pure-data application, but sometimes MMS is just very convenient, 50c to send an image seems pretty steep these days though.

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johnr

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#906511 2-Oct-2013 16:10

The MMS / PXT go thru and a MMSC that adds extra cost to running the mobile network,

PaulBags

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#906554 2-Oct-2013 17:24

stevenz: Because it has to use a fairly specific APN and gateway rather than the normal data APN. In most cases it's much cheaper to use eMail\Viber\Whatsapp or pretty much any other pure-data application, but sometimes MMS is just very convenient, 50c to send an image seems pretty steep these days though.

Phone won't let me put java apps on it, despite supporting java. Oh well, off to see if I can find a mobile compatible image hosting site, and hope my phone will let it's built in browser access the filesystem to upload something...

old3eyes

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#906604 2-Oct-2013 18:58

johnr: The MMS / PXT go thru and a MMSC that adds extra cost to running the mobile network,

A good old carrier explanation. Personally I think it should a part of your SMS plan..

Regards,

Old3eyes

PaulBags

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#906646 2-Oct-2013 20:07

old3eyes:
johnr: The MMS / PXT go thru and a MMSC that adds extra cost to running the mobile network,

A good old carrier explanation. Personally I think it should a part of your SMS plan..

Heck, charge me the data and an SMS. Charge 10 SMS. Something. But to pay for voice, txt, and data; and then still get charged extra to send a < 200kb file, well that stings a little.

PaulBags

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#906748 2-Oct-2013 22:05

I should apologise and say that the charges for MMS are right there on the price page, I just never saw them. So, sorry telecom.

Still miffed at how mms are charged. No plan or pack includes any mms, it's casual 20cents to Tcom 50cents to everyone else, and that's it. Didn't MMS cost the same as a casual sms a decade ago? With voice/sms/data plans so much cheaper now why are mms so relatively expensive now?

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johnr

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#906751 2-Oct-2013 22:10

No MMS has always had a different charge and MMS to a email address is 20 cents

PaulBags

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#906757 2-Oct-2013 22:16

johnr: No MMS has always had a different charge and MMS to a email address is 20 cents

Is that an industry thing, or do you represent telecom?

BrutusNZ

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#906832 3-Oct-2013 02:01

Amazes me that the two big networks still answer these types of questions in the same way, either "It always was that way" or "we haven't changed the way we charge" or "our systems can't do it that way" Imagine if it wasn't for 2 degrees, we would still be paying 80 cents/minute, cheap data would still be a dream and only free txt's to their own networks. Open your eyes Vodafone and Telecom, customers want you to change - do you get it? Has the penny dropped yet? Actually I don't think they ever will get it; that is, until competition knocks at their door and then finally someone in their marketing department comes up with the 'brilliant new idea' (which is just copied/modified from the competition) and they all pat themselves on the back and congratulate themselves on their insight and forward thinking.
The best thing that ever happened in the NZ Mobile market was 2 degrees.
Rant finished - Thank you.

Neori

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2degrees

#906838 3-Oct-2013 05:51

BrutusNZ: The best thing that ever happened in the NZ Mobile market was 2 degrees.

Amen.

farcus

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#906840 3-Oct-2013 06:04

johnr: No MMS has always had a different charge and MMS to a email address is 20 cents

The mobile network I use mms is included as part of overall data - but when broken down on the biill and shown as cost per packet - the charge is the same for all types of data . . . . BUT this is not in NZ.

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johnr

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#906843 3-Oct-2013 06:24

farcus:
johnr: No MMS has always had a different charge and MMS to a email address is 20 cents

The mobile network I use mms is included as part of overall data - but when broken down on the biill and shown as cost per packet - the charge is the same for all types of data . . . . BUT this is not in NZ.

No in NZ and many other countries

old3eyes

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#906870 3-Oct-2013 08:40

BrutusNZ: Amazes me that the two big networks still answer these types of questions in the same way, either "It always was that way" or "we haven't changed the way we charge" or "our systems can't do it that way" Imagine if it wasn't for 2 degrees, we would still be paying 80 cents/minute, cheap data would still be a dream and only free txt's to their own networks. Open your eyes Vodafone and Telecom, customers want you to change - do you get it? Has the penny dropped yet? Actually I don't think they ever will get it; that is, until competition knocks at their door and then finally someone in their marketing department comes up with the 'brilliant new idea' (which is just copied/modified from the competition) and they all pat themselves on the back and congratulate themselves on their insight and forward thinking.
The best thing that ever happened in the NZ Mobile market was 2 degrees.
Rant finished - Thank you.

Umm. 2Degrees MMS " Picture messages to the world 50c"

Regards,

Old3eyes

BrutusNZ

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#907049 3-Oct-2013 13:14

Yeah sure 2Degrees ain't perfect so this could be a good opportunity for change, 2Degrees are you listening? or how about one of the network providers explaining exactly why MMS is charged differently to data because to us (your customers) it's just data. Oh and please don't say it's because of the 'infrastructure to support MMS' again we as customers know that means computers and they can do many things like.... handling data! and they don't care what type of data it is. If it's due to royalties you have to pay or fee's to the patent owner then tell us and we may even sympathise with you ;-)

johnr

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#907052 3-Oct-2013 13:20

BrutusNZ: Yeah sure 2Degrees ain't perfect so this could be a good opportunity for change, 2Degrees are you listening? or how about one of the network providers explaining exactly why MMS is charged differently to data because to us (your customers) it's just data. Oh and please don't say it's because of the 'infrastructure to support MMS' again we as customers know that means computers and they can do many things like.... handling data! and they don't care what type of data it is. If it's due to royalties you have to pay or fee's to the patent owner then tell us and we may even sympathise with you ;-)

The MMSC and many other platforms have 24/7 support contracts with vendors, These vendors don't work for free, If you know vendors that work for free please DM me your details and happy to speak,

These platforms also have yearly licensing costs that would make your eyes water

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