Mobile Broadband costs less than you think.

Forums › One NZ (including Farmside) › Mobile Broadband costs less than you think.

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#32730 10-Apr-2006 17:58

does it have to be a VMC connection, why not a 3g handset that you can connect to your pc/laptop and use as a modem?
I suppose to an extent you drift into you choose! territory but a1gb for 50+gst and a calling plan would make a very handy phone deal

alasta

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#32735 10-Apr-2006 19:21

SNicolle: does it have to be a VMC connection, why not a 3g handset that you can connect to your pc/laptop and use as a modem?
I suppose to an extent you drift into you choose! territory but a1gb for 50+gst and a calling plan would make a very handy phone deal

Are you sure it's limited to VMC users? If you look at Vodafone's main data plan page, it gives the option of 'Mobilise Data 1Gb $49 Promo', which implies that phone handset users can also access this deal.

SNicolle

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#32736 10-Apr-2006 19:22

not sure of anything? just got the impression so far it was vmc based. I might look into it now

paradoxsm

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#32740 10-Apr-2006 20:15

Ok... PHEW!!!!!

I'm on it but what a process!

The dealers have little clues about what it is due to it's unusual nature and lack of exposure (I seem to be one of the first, I was also the first customer on ""freedom" after submitting the form at 3AM last night LOL) Pretty much to be expected..

It was not a "plan" but a "call feature" called [Mobilize Data 1GB promo $49]

The "base pricing plan" is either a voice plan or a no term mobile data-0 plan as the base.

There is NO CONTRACT if you supply the hardware.
There is a 24 month contract if you take the free 3G datacard however. (Still was tempting)

Plan Goodies,
384KBPS\64Kbps up data rates, This is FASTER downrate than my ADSL is!
Natioal roaming on the slower but still freely usable GRPS network
I can run it in a slew of very handy Datacards, Phones, PDA's and smartphones.
I can just swap the SIMcard among a huge pile of devices as I please
Also supports WAP traffic unlike Telecom whom charge $50 a meg!

Goodbye Woosh and it's chunky hardware :.-(
I want to support them but sadly my wallet is starting to talk.
VoIP calls are going to cost a 25c/min surcharge away from home. (how greedy)
Dial-up roaming 087300111 access is now another $10 a month (was free)
Woosh network data roaming is another $20 a month (c'mon!)

And woosh 1GB plan is only $14 cheaper without any of the nasty extra "roaming surcharges" included!

Thank-you Vodafone

alasta

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#32746 10-Apr-2006 20:47

paradoxsm: Goodbye Woosh and it's chunky hardware :.-(
I want to support them but sadly my wallet is starting to talk.
VoIP calls are going to cost a 25c/min surcharge away from home. (how greedy)
Dial-up roaming 087300111 access is now another $10 a month (was free)
Woosh network data roaming is another $20 a month (c'mon!)

If I weren't tied into a contract with Woosh then I would seriously consider Vodafone's new offering, although I would struggle to get by on a 1GB cap. At the moment, I'm using about 1.3Gb per month on Woosh, which I could probably cut down without it causing any major inconvenience, but Vodafone's 50c per Mb charge for traffic over and beyond 1Gb would mean that I would risk incurring huge charges unexpectedly if I were to accidentally exceed my data cap. The other problem is that my home is on the boarderline of Vodafone 3G coverage (Just west of the Seatoun tunnel in Wellington), but Woosh coverage here is very good.

It will be interesting to see what Vodafone opt to do at the end of this three month promotion. I guess they are currently testing the water to determine their longer term pricing strategy but, whatever happens, I can't imagine them going back to the old $150+GST price after this.

simon14

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#32748 10-Apr-2006 21:04

Does anyone knwo what the ping is like on vodafone broadband?

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johnr

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#32750 10-Apr-2006 21:23

average 200ms sometimes lower or higher

Just did some testing and average was 220ms

chiefie

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#32754 10-Apr-2006 21:53

just told my partner about this... sounds good but need to find a device to use it with... i don't carry my laptop daily, would be good if i have umpc now, or even a 3G pda phone... but i'm moving away from PDA to UMPC... hmmm.

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lokinz

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#32756 10-Apr-2006 22:06

paradoxsm: Ok... PHEW!!!!!

I'm on it but what a process!

The dealers have little clues about what it is due to it's unusual nature and lack of exposure............

Thank-you Vodafone

Glad you're a happy customer, how did it go with you 0218 number?

Which retailer did you go to? Staff should be briefed on the correct procedure before the promo starts, I would be interested to know who is slacking.

paradoxsm

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#32758 10-Apr-2006 22:31

Botany, they were helpful as but needed some clarification on provisioning, call feature rather tha outright pricing plan. 777 knew no better, bussol hit voicemail as always, channel support sussed in end..

I'm happy-as with it, was just scared about being locked into a contract while providing own hardware as with the you-choose offer.

paradoxsm

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#32759 10-Apr-2006 22:43

That last reply was posted from the I-mate :-)

Minor bug in PIE or GZ, logging in after hitting reply results in "username must be specified" whereas hitting the login link allows you to login as per usual. then go to the forums and reply.

I remembered I have a Stuffed LCD but physically operational as a modem Voda 3G handset sitting here in bits.. Time to put her to some hard use! :-)

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lokinz

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#32760 10-Apr-2006 22:45

paradoxsm: Botany, they were helpful as but needed some clarification on provisioning, call feature rather tha outright pricing plan. 777 knew no better, bussol hit voicemail as always, channel support sussed in end..

I'm happy-as with it, was just scared about being locked into a contract while providing own hardware as with the you-choose offer.

Do you know what chain they were? First, Digital, MFS etc...

They actually rang 777? Channel support should always be the first port of call for a dealer to get help.

Fair enough I don't like the term contract for you choose either, rebates are not good enough IMO.

freitasm

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#32761 10-Apr-2006 22:46

paradoxsm: That last reply was posted from the I-mate :-)

Minor bug in PIE or GZ, logging in after hitting reply results in "username must be specified" whereas hitting the login link allows you to login as per usual. then go to the forums and reply.

This is a PIE bug and affects some other sites as well. I've reported this to Microsoft already.

It used to work with PIE up to Windows Mobile 2003. From Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition it started showing this problem.

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paradoxsm

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#32765 11-Apr-2006 01:05

a Free Mobileconnectcard is a good deal but what if "the otherside" offers me some deal I can't refuse, or I get a job with a free phone.. and of course the coming network upgrade! might mean cheaper plans and I'd still need to upgrade my hardware.

The dealer changed the "pricing plan" over to [MCC 1GB] in the sSsSsSsssss, then advised me to call 777 and get an "overnight" change done if I wanted, turns out it did not need the pricingplan changed at all but was just a matter of adding a call feature, easy but dealer was confused about provisioning it. Very helpful though and gladly spent the time getting it sorted.

A lot of the confusion stemmed from them wondering if there was an option for open term as the "pricing plan" showed "mobile connect 1GB [Term]" which I think confused them.

All in all, I'm a very happy man, Easy, Simple, nationwide, transferable and now rather cheap data.

PS: I knew this deal was coming was coming but like all had to keep it very quiet.

bcourtney

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#32767 11-Apr-2006 01:43

paradoxsm: All in all, I'm a very happy man, Easy, Simple, nationwide, transferable and now rather cheap data.

Albeit rather slow...

hehe, excuse my cynicism, true it's a great deal (a GREAT deal) but why not hold out for the opposition's reply? For a mobile data solution (especially one of the region of 1GB per month) why would you jump so quickly on this deal when you know that TNZ are most likely going to offer something rather similar with speeds much greater? Without bagging VF too heavily, we see it all too often with clients of ours being talked into using the VF data cards as their portable data solution but then finding that the network is just too slow. Fine for using to check your pop mail but when it comes to hooking into your company's server etc it's just excrutiating. While the competition is great for you and I, Voda's 3g network seems better suited to voice and all the trimmings that they can offer with that side of things at the moment, whereas TNZ's is best for data. Then there is the issue of dropped connections...

Don't get me wrong, i am not affiliated with the competition in any way, but in a purely logical sense, if you are going to be using mobile data in the region of 1GB surely the speed and dropout issues would drive you nuts! Being the geek that i am, i know i want speed and a stable connection.

Although like you say, you're not tied into a contract and haven't needed to purchase any additional hardware, so if (when?) TNZ releases their own counter-promo you're free to change. I know i'm holding out for them to come back with something equally tempting!

As i think was posted either earlier in this forum or in Tony Hughes' blog, full respect to Voda for coming out with something like this and leading the way once again. Unfortunately for them, with the comparisons in the data networks at the moment, TNZ can once again market reactively (lazy, lazy, lazy, enough said) and most probably reap the greater rewards from this promo as their network is better suited to those requiring this amount of data transfer in a month.

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