Mobile Broadband - Prepay cheaper than contract

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nitrotech

1285 posts

Uber Geek

#64165 9-Jul-2010 10:00

I think it's great that telecom have now got 2gb and 4gb plans available on prepay.

These plans still seem to work in the same way as the 500mb plan - where you are charged at 10c per mb until you hit the dollar value of the plan eg.(10c per mb for 600mb $59.95 then the remaining 1.4gb free)

The big thing is that these prices are the same as the ones available to those on contract (without the loyalty discount) however if you factor in the 'bonus' credit for pre pay customers mobile bb on pre-pay is now significantly cheaper than on contract.

Telecom offers from 20% to 33% bonus credit when topping up your prepay account therefore topping up with $60 gives you an extra $20 credit.

It perplexes me why on contract mobile bb with telecom users will pay $10 more than vodafone (without the loyalty discount) yet prepay customers will pay sigificantly less.

So the question is why sign into a contract, you can pick up a cheap device on trade me and you're away with pre pay obligation free and cheaper.

mattk

255 posts

Ultimate Geek

#349388 9-Jul-2010 10:26

TC's prepay broadband is awesome - I've got a t-stick and on the months i don't use it - it's 0$ (unlike postpaid!!) and on the lighter months it's only 1-2$ I only use it when we're away at the snow or on holiday.

Very frustrating you can't have that convenience on a plan, topping up is the only hassel. I've probably saved around $120/yr cancelling the $18/240MB on my plan and using the free t-stick.

graemeh

2078 posts

Uber Geek

#349390 9-Jul-2010 10:28

When I signed up to a postpaid connection (but no fixed contract) it was because the then new 2gb and 4gb plans were not available on prepay.

You are right, it is cheaper on prepay. It's also a better arrangement because if you don't use the connection during the month you do not pay if you are prepaid.

I was willing to pay more for Telecom XT because speed wise it whips Vodafone. This is because the Vodafone 3G service often drops back to 2G.

I only needed it for 4 months and disconnected it when I was done with it.

mattk

255 posts

Ultimate Geek

#349398 9-Jul-2010 10:40

graemeh:

I was willing to pay more for Telecom XT because speed wise it whips Vodafone. This is because the Vodafone 3G service often drops back to 2G.

Bingo. In Whangaparaoa XT is quicker than my adsl by about ~1Mbit, while my mate on VF isn't much better than dialup.

Behodar

10510 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#349406 9-Jul-2010 11:13

Same here. I've switched to prepaid because it's significantly cheaper than a plan (I'm saving roughly $25/month). XT is faster than my wired connection too so it's a great service when I need it.

I'd rather be on a plan for the convenience of not having to top up, but I can't justify an extra $25/month for it!

mattk

255 posts

Ultimate Geek

#349408 9-Jul-2010 11:16

Behodar: Same here. I've switched to prepaid because it's significantly cheaper than a plan (I'm saving roughly $25/month). XT is faster than my wired connection too so it's a great service when I need it.

I'd rather be on a plan for the convenience of not having to top up, but I can't justify an extra $25/month for it!

During the Big Time lag debacle I was gaming on my T-Stick... Ping was still around half the dsl.

jeffreyh

54 posts

Master Geek

#349411 9-Jul-2010 11:22

mattk: TC's prepay broadband is awesome - I've got a t-stick and on the months i don't use it - it's 0$ (unlike postpaid!!) and on the lighter months it's only 1-2$ I only use it when we're away at the snow or on holiday.

Very frustrating you can't have that convenience on a plan, topping up is the only hassel. I've probably saved around $120/yr cancelling the $18/240MB on my plan and using the free t-stick.

Hey matt,
Can you tell me how this works. I talked to Telecom and they told me the data expires each month, so if I don't use it all I lose it. I was looking for something for my mother to use for broadband the 500m seems good but not if it expires each month and she doesn't use it all the time.

Jeff

Behodar

10510 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#349418 9-Jul-2010 11:28

The "data counter" resets to zero at the end of each month. You pay 10c/MB for the first 300 MB then the next 200 MB in that month are free. Once the next month rolls around, you're back to 10c/MB.

You're therefore not "losing" anything when it resets. If you don't use the full data allocation then you don't need to pay for it.

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mattk

255 posts

Ultimate Geek

#349422 9-Jul-2010 11:33

jeffreyh:
Hey matt,
Can you tell me how this works. I talked to Telecom and they told me the data expires each month, so if I don't use it all I lose it. I was looking for something for my mother to use for broadband the 500m seems good but not if it expires each month and she doesn't use it all the time.

Jeff

Yup - it's per month, so you put say $100 on prepay and it's 10c/MB untill you've used $29.95 (300MB) worth within the calender month then the next 200MB is free:

10c per MB capped at $29.95 for up to 500MB in a calendar month. $29.95 price cap applies to your next 500MB too, then it's 10c per MB for anything over that

source:
http://www.telecom.co.nz/mobile/mobilebroadband/plansandpricing/prepaid

If you use less than 300MB in a month it's just at 10c per MB, if you use 300-500MB it's $29.95

jeffreyh

54 posts

Master Geek

#349424 9-Jul-2010 11:37

Behodar: The "data counter" resets to zero at the end of each month. You pay 10c/MB for the first 300 MB then the next 200 MB in that month are free. Once the next month rolls around, you're back to 10c/MB.

You're therefore not "losing" anything when it resets. If you don't use the full data allocation then you don't need to pay for it.

Hi,
Ok, so the 200M is like a bonus (for that calendar month). I'm paying $30 for 300m + I get a free 200M bonus. If I don't use all the 300M I'm still in credit and can continue to use the data stick till I've used up my $30 credit (however many months that is), but I'll lose the bonus, Unless I topup.
Is the correct?

Behodar

10510 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#349428 9-Jul-2010 11:41

That's correct.

mattk

255 posts

Ultimate Geek

#349430 9-Jul-2010 11:46

jeffreyh:
Behodar: The "data counter" resets to zero at the end of each month. You pay 10c/MB for the first 300 MB then the next 200 MB in that month are free. Once the next month rolls around, you're back to 10c/MB.

You're therefore not "losing" anything when it resets. If you don't use the full data allocation then you don't need to pay for it.

Hi,
Ok, so the 200M is like a bonus (for that calendar month). I'm paying $30 for 300m + I get a free 200M bonus. If I don't use all the 300M I'm still in credit and can continue to use the data stick till I've used up my $30 credit (however many months that is), but I'll lose the bonus, Unless I topup.
Is the correct?

You only get the 200MB for free once you've used 300MB within that calender month, and it expires at the end of the month you gain it in.

On top of that when you put $60 on (potentially 2mths full use) you get the $20 free credit, so essentially 2 out of every 8 months is free.