Telecom WAP Rates

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sbiddle

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Topic # 8708 24-Jul-2006 13:07

I was away on the weekend but if nobody saw Close Up on Friday there was a story re Telecom's WAP rates

Telecom's advise "Don't surf the net on your cellphone for long periods of time"

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/tvone_minisite_story_skin/793710%3fformat=html

IMHO Telecom's response is just lame. Period. They are trying to justify their pricing because it's such a cash cow they don't want to lose it - expecially when their data rates are cheaper.

freitasm

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Reply # 42318 24-Jul-2006 13:15

Since it's not time, but traffic based. Very poor excuse.

In any case, it doesn't explain how come Telecom can excuse itself and charge those rates for WAP traffic.

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sbiddle

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Reply # 42320 24-Jul-2006 13:21

I thought Phil Love gave a very lame reason, at least Gaulter can spin crap and it sounds credible..

He kept trying tyo say you're paying for being able to access data from anywhere which goes against what Telecom are currently trying to tell people which is that mobile data is an affordable option.

The simple fact is Telecom are making $1 million per week from a service that should probably be making them 1/10th of that and don't want to lose a good thing. Can't blame them really! :-)

juha

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Reply # 42323 24-Jul-2006 14:05

Hmm, yes. This is clearly one example of where Theresa's "Confusion" marketing strategy is active. Ernie's comments were good - the plans shouldn't have to be so complicated. Vodafone needs a kick up its corporate cojones on this one too.

Depressing to note that TVNZ didn't attribute the most likely source of the story: Tony's calculations in the GZ forums. I covered it in my FryUp newsletter for Computerworld and attributed accordingly. Why is it so hard for others? Grr...

Juha

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Reply # 42334 24-Jul-2006 17:34

I totally agree, It's been the bane of my only gripe with Telecom and the only reason I still till recently held a connection with Vodafone, I'd like to be able to use Opera Mini on a high end Nokia 6265 on a data plan but that's an impossible dream.

Basically it's designed to avoid customers going "offsite" to get cheap (free) content so thay can charge you their current exorbidant cash-cow prices,, $50 a megabyte, 35c to read news, sports etc or to read an email and 7c per "click" just to play some patheric "wap game", Also most handsets are "locked up" to only download .GCD headers and not just any old MID QCP or AMR off the hoardes of free sites. basically the openwave browser in the handsets has the "save page content" option removed.

Wap usage and the Full minute rounding on prepaid calls are their biggest revenue grabs, It helps cover the loss with $10 TXT

Vodafone aint all rosy here either, Their chat is a huge revenue grab hance it being featured so highly on Vodafone live and has a nasty habit of charging you when it's not even touched!

Remember Vodafone include ALL data and email use (WAP and Pop3) in a subscribed data plan, if you buy 1GB of data, You can use it anyway you want..

However, one saving grace for Telecom, the HTC devices browse WAP sites (except Xtra's hopeless portal) though a standard data connection, not at Telecoms exorbidant WAP rates. (this caused the final disconnection of my last data plan with Vodafone)

tonyhughes

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Reply # 42344 24-Jul-2006 20:35

juha: Hmm, yes. This is clearly one example of where Theresa's "Confusion" marketing strategy is active. Ernie's comments were good - the plans shouldn't have to be so complicated. Vodafone needs a kick up its corporate cojones on this one too.

Depressing to note that TVNZ didn't attribute the most likely source of the story: Tony's calculations in the GZ forums. I covered it in my FryUp newsletter for Computerworld and attributed accordingly. Why is it so hard for others? Grr...

Thanks!!

I am not getting friday fryup, im sure i subscribed???

link?

tonyhughes

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Reply # 42352 24-Jul-2006 22:18

here is my big speech about Telecom WAP charges... http://www.geekzone.co.nz/tonyhughes/902

juha

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Reply # 42357 25-Jul-2006 08:15

I am not getting friday fryup, im sure i subscribed???

link?

Hmm, IDG uses a third-party emailer, and I have no idea how their subscription thingy works. Finding anything in the Notes maze is also impossible, even with Google... will mail you last week's F-U separately.

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Felix

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Reply # 42373 25-Jul-2006 11:18

so I agree that the off site charges are high... the 50,000 times more expensive thing is interesting... Interesting like, Susan Wood gets paid 850,000% more than I do for my radio show, a show which is more than 850,000 times more interesting, but I digress...

Perhaps the article should have been about the education system... I happen to have been asked to look at how many time the poor girl in this story clicked through the warning page which reads...

"Accessing content outside the Xtra Mobile menu costs 5c per KB.

Telecom has no control or liability for this content, or its compatibility with your mobile.

Charges still apply if content is incompatible with your mobile. See link 3 below for more info.

By proceeding you agree."

Link 3 reads

"When you request content, we retrieve it then send it to your mobile. Charges are applied on our successful retrieval, before it is sent to your mobile.

Not all content types are supported by your mobile. Charges still apply if content is incompatible with or cannot be downloaded by your mobile.

Visit

xtra.co.nz/mobileinternet on your PC for a full run down on WAP charges."

So, this warning was ignored or not understood. If it was ignored, well everyone does things they regret at some stage. If it was not understood then perhaps it should be raised at the next parent teacher meeting?

Either way I do feel some sympathy for the kid, but if I order Spice Channel on Sky (or pay per view) then I have to pay for it.

Felix 5ive

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Reply # 42376 25-Jul-2006 11:44

I agree with Felix. There are warnings. If you are not happy with it don't use it - simple. Telecom are upfront about the price and if you are 'confused' about the price you should probably stick to $10 text!

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johnr

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Reply # 42381 25-Jul-2006 12:25

I did not know there were warnings but this is very good of telecom mobile

Stuipd little Brat should pay

Whats the complaint about?? WTF

freitasm

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Reply # 42382 25-Jul-2006 12:31

Yes, yes, the warnings are there. But they still don't explain how come the traffic costs more on WAP than on a data connection. The backhaul is the same. The only difference is the WAP gateway and of course content management system, device adaptation, games licensing, etc that must be paid by. But still...

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SilentOne

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Reply # 42384 25-Jul-2006 12:34

A little Off topic but:

I think we should take the warnings off everything in the world and let the world sort itself out... wouldnt that be fun!

A few less fools in the world wouldnt hurt.

Felix

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Reply # 42385 25-Jul-2006 12:54

freitasm, unfortunately there has to be a line drawn when it comes to these things. sure Telecom could put a complete technical explantion of the difference between the WAP we control (the garden) and the WAP we don't (the internet), but I feel that would confuse more people.

I personally don't get to determine the pricing structure for Telecom, and would probably do things differently if I did- but it's just not my area, I leave that to marketing andthe bean counters ;-)

However, there is a warning, and it's reasonably straight forward... essentially, there is a cost and if you don't understand it you may be better off not proceeding. I geuss it's like people not questioning the terms on hire purchase and the father giving his phone to his daughter is a bit likehim handing over his credit card)... either way, I feel for the kid, but it's a lesson learnt...

The people I don't feel for are the people that complain about off site charges and when the charges are explained with reference to grannypoos.com / russianlolitagmilfs.com etc which they have visited, go very quiet and then *do the same thing the next month*... moronic perverts with technology are a very good argument for a price increase...

Felix 5ive

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Reply # 42386 25-Jul-2006 12:55

freitasm: Yes, yes, the warnings are there. But they still don't explain how come the traffic costs more on WAP than on a data connection. The backhaul is the same. The only difference is the WAP gateway and of course content management system, device adaptation, games licensing, etc that must be paid by. But still...

Why? Because they can and of course you have no visibility of the gateway licensing or ongoing running costs. The $49 1Gig plan uses the open internet or private office realms which are very different to the WAP traffic realm.

Believe me it isn't that simple and there are big differences.

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