New Vodafone prepay mobile data add-ons

Forums › One NZ (including Farmside) › New Vodafone prepay mobile data add-ons

1 | 2 | 3

markl

348 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 83

#928515 7-Nov-2013 08:56

networkn:
1eStar: I don't think scale has too much to do with data pricing. If you compare a neighbouring Island Pacific nation (with a quarter of our population), which has prepaid mobile data (HSPA) regularly priced at less than 1c per MB. And regular weekly specials with double your data. It becomes clear that mobile data is the cash cow in NZ currently.

Can you provide some evidence around this stuff? I would be surprised if the Govt isn't subsidising those prices.

Whether it's scale or government subsidies, or whatever, its clear to most people that compared to other countries, in NZ the consumer is getting a bit of a raw deal. Thats not opinion, that is fact. I'm not blaming the carriers, or the government, just stating that as a plain, simple, by the numbers fact, we pay more for mobile data than consumers in other countries do.

Is that fair?

Klipspringer

2385 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 286
Inactive user

#928539 7-Nov-2013 09:40

networkn:
1eStar: I don't think scale has too much to do with data pricing. If you compare a neighbouring Island Pacific nation (with a quarter of our population), which has prepaid mobile data (HSPA) regularly priced at less than 1c per MB. And regular weekly specials with double your data. It becomes clear that mobile data is the cash cow in NZ currently.

Can you provide some evidence around this stuff? I would be surprised if the Govt isn't subsidising those prices.

Which island is this?

I know of a similar situation on an island called Mauritius off the east coast of Africa. The island is small and in it boasted one of the fist commercial launches of 3G/UMTS in the southern hemisphere.

I would imagine that I can count all base stations on the same hand.

Its therefore very cheap to maintain such a network, especially if the island is getting nearly a million tourists per year.

No need for the government to subsidize anything.

But here in NZ... data prices have dropped considerably. But even compared to a country like south africa we are still very expensive.

Klipspringer

2385 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 286
Inactive user

#928545 7-Nov-2013 09:50

Some South african prepaid data prices

The NZ$ is currently as R6.60.
Not too bad.

Edit: actually when looking at these prices I realize that NZ is not really that badly priced.
I do like the cheap out of bundle rates though. Not sure why we are penalized so much in NZ for going over our limit

markl

348 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 83

#928559 7-Nov-2013 09:58

Klipspringer: Some South african prepaid data prices:

The NZ$ is currently as R6.60.
Not too bad.

Indeed...another thing to note, and its something you do see a bit from overseas providers...the period over which you have the data for...unless I read that wrong, if you buy the 3GB data package (for approx. NZ$45, based on your quoted exchange rate), you have 365 days to use that data? Here it's generally use it in the month or lose it...

So I guess a bit more flexibility in how packages are made up would be good also.

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1528

#928561 7-Nov-2013 10:10

1eStar:
networkn:
1eStar: I don't think scale has too much to do with data pricing. If you compare a neighbouring Island Pacific nation (with a quarter of our population), which has prepaid mobile data (HSPA) regularly priced at less than 1c per MB. And regular weekly specials with double your data. It becomes clear that mobile data is the cash cow in NZ currently.

Can you provide some evidence around this stuff? I would be surprised if the Govt isn't subsidising those prices.

pacific islands are a bit of a special case. They have to charge low rates for locals because income is so low there (nobody would buy it otherwise).
If that was their primary source of income though, they would be screwed.

The way PI nations telcos make money is not on local purchasers, but rather on inbound roaming.
They charge the likes of Telecom, Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone etc an absolute fortune to roam into the island. Because tourism makes up such a massive proportion of the nations GDP, they make waaaay more money from this than they do from selling to locals.

Yes, if you are a NZer you can just buy a local SIM and use the local prices, but most countries Telco's lock all their phones, making this impossible, so people are forced to use roaming, which is incredibly expensive.

Klipspringer

2385 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 286
Inactive user

#928567 7-Nov-2013 10:14

NonprayingMantis:
The way PI nations telcos make money is not on local purchasers, but rather on inbound roaming.
They charge the likes of Telecom, Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone etc an absolute fortune to roam into the island. Because tourism makes up such a massive proportion of the nations GDP, they make waaaay more money from this than they do from selling to locals.

Yes, if you are a NZer you can just buy a local SIM and use the local prices, but most countries Telco's lock all their phones, making this impossible, so people are forced to use roaming, which is incredibly expensive.

I think the local NZ telcos, Telecom, Vodafone etc also profit a lot when their customers roam.
Its not only the foreign country that benefits.

Apple TV

Stream your favourite shows now on Apple TV (affiliate link).

1eStar

1604 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 375

#928818 7-Nov-2013 14:59

I doubt Fiji vodafone is selling their data at a loss, I doubt the govt could afford to subsidise it, it's more likely they'd be luxury taxing it. My point is that the NZ telcos are currently milking mobile data as their cash cow. Telecoms xmas deal of 3GB for $29 is close to Fiji vodas pricing, not even factoring in the exchange rate of over 1.5 today. 2degrees 12GB for $100 is getting better but geo limited.

k14

631 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 94

#928843 7-Nov-2013 15:23

I can't figure out if I can have a normal Prepay account (e.g. Prepay Smart19Data) and add on one of these data plans? If so I would ditch my current $40 plan in a heartbeat. Still on one of the original iPhone 4 plans that has 3gb incl. The minutes and txt's are pretty much irrelevant to me, the data is the one I am after.

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2526
Inactive user

#928845 7-Nov-2013 15:25

k14: I can't figure out if I can have a normal Prepay account (e.g. Prepay Smart19Data) and add on one of these data plans? If so I would ditch my current $40 plan in a heartbeat. Still on one of the original iPhone 4 plans that has 3gb incl. The minutes and txt's are pretty much irrelevant to me, the data is the one I am after.

Nope you can't

PrepaySmart and PrepayData are two different Prepay plans with different addons

Xeon

302 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 43

#929113 7-Nov-2013 21:13

johnr:
k14: I can't figure out if I can have a normal Prepay account (e.g. Prepay Smart19Data) and add on one of these data plans? If so I would ditch my current $40 plan in a heartbeat. Still on one of the original iPhone 4 plans that has 3gb incl. The minutes and txt's are pretty much irrelevant to me, the data is the one I am after.

Nope you can't

PrepaySmart and PrepayData are two different Prepay plans with different addons

Went into Vodafone Wall Street Dunedin they told me they were add-ons therefore can be added onto to any prepay plan. Guess that was a waste of a top up, thought I could keep my $19 combo.

NonprayingMantis

6434 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1528

#929114 7-Nov-2013 21:20

Klipspringer:
NonprayingMantis:
The way PI nations telcos make money is not on local purchasers, but rather on inbound roaming.
They charge the likes of Telecom, Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone etc an absolute fortune to roam into the island. Because tourism makes up such a massive proportion of the nations GDP, they make waaaay more money from this than they do from selling to locals.

Yes, if you are a NZer you can just buy a local SIM and use the local prices, but most countries Telco's lock all their phones, making this impossible, so people are forced to use roaming, which is incredibly expensive.

I think the local NZ telcos, Telecom, Vodafone etc also profit a lot when their customers roam.
Its not only the foreign country that benefits.

probably, but my point is that inboudn roaming revenue makes up the lions share of revenue for a PI telco. Revenue from locals is largely irrelevant.

1 | 2 | 3