Vodafone Data Plan Question

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macjones

106 posts

Master Geek

#19450 17-Feb-2008 23:19

Hi,

<Rant/>
I'm using my phone to connect to the internet over bluetooth from my linux laptop, works great, but i'm on casual rates ($11,250 per gig or $11.25 per MB). I'm so scared that my laptop might autodial and do an update that I keep my bluetooth dongle unplugged !! I can't afforf ELEVEN THOUSAND dollars for a gig of data!!!

<Statement/>
Vodafones website spawns so many windows and has so many duplicate pages with old data that i'm totally confused.

<Information/>
I live in a GPRS only area, but often travel to 3g areas.

Question.
I want to go on the Broadband starter plan.
http://www.vodafone.co.nz/mobile-data/3g-broadband-plans.jsp#data-plans

I dont need a discounted vodem as I use my phone, so I have to pay $10 extra for month for the privellage.

So for $39.95 and no term, I get 200mb / mth.

The page also states..

Double your 3G broadband plan for $10

At these speeds, it's easy to overshoot your data limit. But rather than step down to dial-up speed, $10 and we'll reset your counter. So if you hit the gigabyte limit on your Everyday plan, for example, we deduct $10 from your account and you can use your data bundle all over again.

I assume if I do 400 megs of data that my bill will be $39.95 + $10 = $49.95....

As I'm often on GPRS, am I out of luck with this double up, as it only applies to 3G data?

Is the 200mb only 3g data, do i need another plan for GPRS?

I also find this page...
http://www.vodafone.co.nz/mobile-data/mobile-internet.jsp

Which offers me the same "broadband starter plan" to use with my phone but no mention of the "double your 3g", and no mention of any GPRS data....

Is double your data only available from the broadband starter plan from the first page, and not available from the broadband starter package from the second page? How will vodafone know thich broadband starter pland I want, should I give them the URL? Is the first plan only available for vodems, if so why has it got the same name and price as the other plan.

So many questions, so hard to get an answer from the Egyptians......

Anyone.....?

Thanks
Mac

freitasm

BDFL - Memuneh
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#111297 17-Feb-2008 23:36

I think you will find th $10 option is only available on the 1 GB and 3 GB plans.

You can have a plan and use GPRS only...

nzbnw

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Spark NZ

#111299 18-Feb-2008 00:06

freitasm: I think you will find th $10 option is only available on the 1 GB and 3 GB plans.

Really? I was sure it was the same deal across all the plans, at least it is with Telecom's Mobile Broadband, and this is what I remember being promoted at the launch of these plans.

nzbnw

[edit]

VFNZ:
Double your 3G broadband plan for $10
At these speeds, it's easy to overshoot your data limit. But rather than step down to dial-up speed, $10 and we'll reset your counter. So if you hit the gigabyte limit on your Everyday plan, for example, we deduct $10 from your account and you can use your data bundle all over again.
If you hit the limit a second time, we'll keep you on full throttle and charge 50c for each extra MB.

macjones

106 posts

Master Geek

#111303 18-Feb-2008 01:25

I agree, their wording does not differentiate, so I would expect it to be the same across all plans....

except maybe the same plan from this page....
http://www.vodafone.co.nz/mobile-data/mobile-internet.jsp

which makes no mention of the double for $10 offer?

Perplexed.....

macjones

106 posts

Master Geek

#111304 18-Feb-2008 01:44

The data usage calculator agrees, the 200mb plan is included in the double up....

http://www.vodafone.co.nz/mobile-data/plan-calculator.jsp

BUT....

The 3 gig plan is missing from the calculator !! Duh !

VFNZPaulBrislen

970 posts

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#111321 18-Feb-2008 09:11

The $10 bundle insurance applies to all three of our mobile broadband data plans.

Cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

macjones

106 posts

Master Geek

#111325 18-Feb-2008 10:23

Paul,

Does the insurance include the plans on this page, (as i'm using my phone as a modem, not a vodem ?)

http://www.vodafone.co.nz/mobile-data/mobile-internet.jsp

And do you distinguish between GPRS and 3g broadband ? i.e. can my 200mb all be GPRS?

Ta
Mac

cranz

675 posts

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#111327 18-Feb-2008 10:25

The $10 insurance applies to the "Broadband" plans, not the older "Mobilise" plans,

GPRS and 3G data is counted as the same, you can use all 200MB of the Broadband Starter plan over GPRS if you like.
It also doesn't matter if you're using a Vodem/Mobile connect card or Phone as modem

Quic Broadband

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macjones

106 posts

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#111329 18-Feb-2008 10:31

Thanks Cranz, thats the answer i was after, much appreciated !

Cheers
Mac

VFNZPaulBrislen

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#111337 18-Feb-2008 10:59

Just double checked for you - CRANZ is quite right. Data can be 3G or GPRS, it doesn't matter, and the bundle insurance only applies to the broadband data plans found here.

To reiterate: pay $29.95/$39.95 for 200MB a month. If you go over your limit, an extra $10 is billed to you AUTOMATICALLY and you get another 200MB.

The same thing happens with the 1GB plan (an additional gig for $10) and the 3GB plan (3GB more for $10). If you don't exceed your limit for the month, you don't pay the extra $10.

Hope that helps,

Cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

macjones

106 posts

Master Geek

#111353 18-Feb-2008 11:56

Paul, you said...

"Just double checked for you - CRANZ is quite right. Data can be 3G or GPRS, it doesn't matter, and the bundle insurance only applies to the broadband data plans found here." (http://www.vodafone.co.nz/mobile-data/3g-broadband-plans.jsp)

Are you saying that the bundle insurance DOES NOT apply to the "phone as a modem" plans found here...

http://www.vodafone.co.nz/mobile-data/mobile-internet.jsp

Cheers
Mac

VFNZPaulBrislen

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#111364 18-Feb-2008 12:32

macjones: Paul, you said...

"Just double checked for you - CRANZ is quite right. Data can be 3G or GPRS, it doesn't matter, and the bundle insurance only applies to the broadband data plans found here." (http://www.vodafone.co.nz/mobile-data/3g-broadband-plans.jsp)

Are you saying that the bundle insurance DOES NOT apply to the "phone as a modem" plans found here...

http://www.vodafone.co.nz/mobile-data/mobile-internet.jsp

Cheers
Mac

If you have a look at that list you'll see the three Broadband plans I was talking about listed - those three DO have bundle insurance. The Mobilise plans are for a great deal less data (up to 15MB) are were really only intended for a GPRS world.

However, you CAN use those three Broadband plans with a phone as modem, you CAN use GPRS only if you so wish (or 3G and GPRS or 3G only... it's up to you) and you DO get the bundle insurance.

If you're looking for an entry level 3G plan then the Broadband Starter offers 200MB (plus another 200MB) which is a better deal given the rate you'll go through data on a 3G plan.

Hope that helps,

Cheers

Paul

Paul Brislen
Head of Corporate Communications
Vodafone

http://forum.vodafone.co.nz

mikal

172 posts

Master Geek

#111440 18-Feb-2008 19:23

It actually shows up on your usage as 400mb when you txt BAL to 777
How it works is that Vodafone will charge you $29.95(term)/$39.95(no-term,phone as modem) for the first 200mb a month in advance, then at the end of the month if you go over 200mb they will charge you another $10.

pwner

423 posts

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2degrees

#111449 18-Feb-2008 19:49

Data is Data
unless you are using a WAP gateway ( read Vlive) it doesnt matter is you are using GPRS/3G/HSDPA the only difference is that on GPRS Vodafone will "Optimize" your experience and on 3G or greater they leave it alone and you get good old web.

all charging for Mobile data is done on a data transfer rate rather than time as well.

if you really want to use data and don't want to pay the high fee's just use the prepay hole, not going to tell you what it is but i'm sure most of you know it.

cranz

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#111458 18-Feb-2008 20:20

pwner: the only difference is that on GPRS Vodafone will "Optimize" your experience and on 3G or greater they leave it alone and you get good old web.

This is due to the APN used for GPRS, you are able to use a different APN (see sticky in VF forum) to disable optimization