It is quite a well known fact that smartphones tend to use a lot of data, and this is particularly true with Windows Phones which are very well connected to the world around you. In fact, Microsoft even urges users to get an unlimited/uncapped data package for their phones. That's not a problem in the U.S. as many providers have competitive packages offering just that.
For those living in South Africa however, mobile internet (and fixed line for that matter) is a bit of a sore spot. It is not uncommon practice to charge R2 ($0.25) per MB when not buying a large bundle, and many users get hit with massive bills after the first month of using their new smartphone. This is worsened by service providers who bundle tiny amounts of data with contracts giving people the impression that it will be enough.
Now Nashua Mobile has stepped in and is offering "uncapped" mobile data to Nokia devices, particularly the Lumia series of Windows Phones.
What is Xtreme Data Premium?
Xtreme Data Premium is a Nashua Mobile data service that provides uncapped data at a fixed cost.
Use Xtreme Data Premium for:
- Internet browsing
- Apps and Game downloads
- Social Networking on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Youtube
- Endless chats on WhatsApp
All at only R139 incl. VAT per Month
At R139 per month, this Premium Xtreme Data service will cater for the more demanding user with up to 400MB of high-speed data before the Average Use Policy (AUP) kicks in and the data service is throttled or shaped. This compares to the 100 MB users on the standard Xtreme Data package may use before the AUP takes effect. Consumers will also be happy to know Youtube is not blocked on the Xtreme Data Premium service.
So if you have a Nokia Lumia device in South Africa you can get this for just R139 ($17). But before you get too excited, read the fine print. "Uncapped" to Nashua Mobile is 400MB of data. After that you will be shaped/throttled until the end of the month - we can't find any detail on what your speed will be limited to. Taking into account that before being shaped, the max speed of the service is 512Kbps, we can imagine how slow it will be.
To put this 400MB at 512Kbps limit into perspective, during a month you can finish your entire unshaped allowance by downloading Sid Meier's Pirates! just twice - and it would take 2 hours.
It really is hard to recommend this deal with competitors like Cell C offering out of bundle data at R0.15 per MB, and 8ta offering fantastic data bundles.
Source: nokia.sa Blog
Reader comments
Uncapped data package for Lumias in South Africa
Wow
I use over 400mb a day watching videos and movie
At&t needs to bring back unlimited data
Per month i use 2 gigas for my lumia
In Malaysia, the major 3 operators, Digi, Maxis and Celcom offer capped data packages from as low as 1GB to 6GB as the maximum. None of them offer 'unlimited' data packages.
At that price stated in the article after conversion (US $17 is equivalent to RM 53), it is equivalent to a 1GB package offered here. 400MB sounds measly when compared to the former. Then again, I never go for these type of plans anyway because at the end of the day, you'll end up paying more than the retail price of the phone in the long term.
This is a crying shame.
I live in South Africa. Don't be fooled by this deal. Honestly, I don't know which customers go for this. Perhaps their current ones who they've already cornered into no other options.
There are deals like 60GB + 60GB over 24mths for R299/mth on 8ta like the article says and loads of 1GB and 2GB/mth contract deals at about the same price.
Seriously, as a local. I don't know what to say about this deal. The fact that its here and got the comments it got from the article is enough I guess.
I give up.
This doesn't make any since. Microsoft as well as Apple have lock their devices from doing a lot of stuff thru Data and have only unlocked it when on WiFi. Big files from the marketplace and even high quality videos from YouTube are locked. WP8 should give users the option to use WiFi or data to download files or other things locked as of now. Android has not locked their phones....
What was the point of this article? T-mobile here in the US has a $30 plan that provides 100min talk, unlimited texts and 5GB of data at at least 2mbps before being throttled to 200k.