Vodafone mobile/broadband data rates please

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Rickles

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#33587 8-May-2009 13:30

Hi,
After buying a Vodafone 'vodem' stick in Australia and using the mobile data service there, I returned to NZ and replaced the SIM card with my NZ mobile 'phone's SIM card and to my delight found that it would connect to the 3G network, and thus the internet.

What I'd like to know is just what rates am I being charged for accessing the internet this way?

Thanks,

Ricky.

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#213441 8-May-2009 13:34

If you don't have a data plan then you are paying the very expensive casual rates.

Rickles

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#213447 8-May-2009 13:46

Hi M,

Yeah, I see that now ... presumably the $1 per day/10Mb rate?

R.

freitasm

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#213458 8-May-2009 14:31

Correct... If you go over it gets expensive. You can always got to $10/100MB/month or a data plan with a good 1GB or 3GB allowance.

Rickles

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#213491 8-May-2009 15:51

I wonder if the same SIM can be registered for both the data plan, and mobile calling? .

R.

paradoxsm

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#213614 9-May-2009 10:16

yes, it's still a supa-prepay with calling/sms as usual.

on-account may be different, unless a voice plan is added as well, voice calls cannot be made.

prepay offers

$1 for 10MB casual pay only if you use it

$10 for 100 MB - sms "buy bblite" to 756

$40 for 512MB - i forget the sms code.

scottjpalmer

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#213617 9-May-2009 10:20

Rickles: I wonder if the same SIM can be registered for both the data plan, and mobile calling? .

R.

Sure can . . . only on Supa Prepay or On Account though, not the old Prepay plans

Rickles

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#213624 9-May-2009 10:27

Thanks guys .... presumably Vodafone distinguishes between the two accounts?

Viz. if I prepay $10 for internet/data, then make several phone calls, do the voice call charges come off the data $10 or from a separate 'voice' account?

R.

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johnr

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#213627 9-May-2009 10:34

Data and voice is are different services

scottjpalmer

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#213629 9-May-2009 10:43

If you buy a recharge card or whatever and top up your account by $20 your balance is now say $23. You then buy a 100MB data pack via SMS message for $10 and you now have 100MB to use for data and $13 left on your account for voice calls, texts, etc or to buy another data pack when you use up the first 100MB.

Rickles

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#213641 9-May-2009 11:19

Scott .... cheers for that. I assume the casual data rate of $1 per day would simply come off any account balance as soon as the data access network is detected.

Now, if they would just make a phone that has a USB connection to my laptop .

R.

scottjpalmer

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#213643 9-May-2009 11:34

Rickles: Scott .... cheers for that. I assume the casual data rate of $1 per day would simply come off any account balance as soon as the data access network is detected.

Now, if they would just make a phone that has a USB connection to my laptop .

R.

1) Yes and no, until you reach however much data costs just less than $1 at the casual rate you will only be charged that (it is not very much data) but once you hit the point where it is $1 worth for the day yes.

2) Most mid to high end phones offer this . . .

w2krules

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#213976 11-May-2009 03:02

Rickles:
Now, if they would just make a phone that has a USB connection to my laptop .
R.

Yeah, they do - the Nokia 6121 has a USB port. And I've had some very fast connections speeds with a good 3G signal. Some very slow connections as well, but that's another story...

If you do get a phone for Vodafone 3G, make sure that it has 900 MHz UMTS so that you can get coverage away from the main centres.

I was a geek before the word was invented!

pkb

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#214151 11-May-2009 16:49

Could I please back up a little and ask a more basic question. I want to be able to use mobile broadband from my laptop. As far as I can see, one option is to buy a vodem stick. Can I instead use my Nokia 6121 with a USB cable as a modem? In which case, I just buy prepay MB and hop online tonight without going to a store? That would be v neat.

BrentR

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#214167 11-May-2009 18:05

You can do exactly that pkb.

I use the 6121 as a modem quite often and have very satisfactory results.

w2krules

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#214173 11-May-2009 18:25

Agreed. I'd also recommend avoiding the Vodem Stick.

I've been using my 6121 as a modem for the last year when on the road, and it works very well, provided there's a decent 3G signal. You can also use Bluetooth if your laptop has it, which is very useful if you have a weak signal as you can move the phone around to get the best signal.

Only thing to watch is battery life - you can flatten the phone battery in a couple of hours doing 3G data over Bluetooth!

I was a geek before the word was invented!

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