Guest Simon Desser Posted October 17, 2003 Report Posted October 17, 2003 "]The only information I have about the new tariffs is that there IS a flat rate GPRS bundle... at FIFTY TWO POUNDS! P They were doing this £52 flat rate GPRS bundle earlier in the year (see this post) from May. They've GOT to come up with something better than this :evil: :?:
Guest Crispy Posted October 17, 2003 Report Posted October 17, 2003 ... £52 flat rate GPRS ... I don't even pay that much for my current GRPS, Phone, TV and Cable Internet combined! ... :shock:
Guest neilg Posted October 17, 2003 Report Posted October 17, 2003 I think it would be fantastic to have either all you can eat GPRS or bigger bundles (or even a lower per MB price). However if I was an operator there is no way I would do this! Mobile operators are trying to do everything they can to avoid becoming 'pipe providers' like fixed line has become - only competing on the price and volume of data you give away. The money for operators is in providing value added services and getting us to pay for them - as soon as you basically give access to the internet at some cover-all rate then we have the choice of anyone on the net to provide our applications and services and get free ones or pay people other than the mobile operator for these services. That is why Three for example (apart from the technical problems) have a wall-gardened network, meaning you cant use yuour three mobile as a big data modem, you have to get the applications and services three provides (for now). I also dont see how you could stop people using the tariff for other devices like data cards where people might REALLY go for some serious data use - you can just swap your SIM around devices. The last problam on GPRS is one of bandwidth - currently in the same space you can carry a LOT more value in terms of voice than GPRS is worth. The original idea was to use spare timeslots to carry GPRS and so generate extra revenue, but mobile has grown so much that bandwidth is actually limited especially in urban areas and voice and data are competing against eachother - why give away a big cheap bundle of data when you can make lots more money out of voice using the same network resource? Voice ARPU is falling so if I was an operator (which I am not and I have nothing to do with) I definatly wouldn't want to see data go the same way. I would LOVE cheap GPRS for me, but although I think prices will naturally fall I dont think that we will see £20 for as much as you can use in the near future.....:-(
Guest Paul [MVP] Posted October 17, 2003 Report Posted October 17, 2003 First post updated with some early stats! P
Guest Maverick Posted October 17, 2003 Report Posted October 17, 2003 I get the feeling that the network operators are recovering the hopelessy high investment they made on 3G licenses by heavily charging the 2.5g users like us !! In a way, people who use GPRS are financing future 3G users !! All of these operators spent so much money on the 3G licence that now the dont have money to invest in the 3G infrastructure.
Guest mattscholey Posted October 17, 2003 Report Posted October 17, 2003 All of these operators spent so much money on the 3G licence that now the dont have money to invest in the 3G infrastructure. They will in the future - i'm sure the networks were thinking long-term when bidding on those licences. As for what NeilG said, a very intersting post, giving a very good explanation to why GPRS prices are so high. Matt
Guest chucky.egg Posted October 17, 2003 Report Posted October 17, 2003 Three for example ... have a wall-gardened network, meaning you cant use yuour three mobile as a big data modemTrue, but it is hurting them - even if they dont know it. I was asked to investigate 3G and recommend a postition for my company. Itold them wait for more players, the 3 "walled garden" made it useless to our (and many other) businesses. My brother runs a consultancy "up north" and came to the same conclusion on his own. i'm sure the networks were thinking long-term when bidding on those licences I doubt it to be honest. I think they thought they were on some sort of gravy train, and could fleece us for 3G they way they do for SMS. They paid 4 billion pounds in the UK. FOUR BILLION POUNDS. Personally I believe that did more harm to the industry than 3G could possibly do good. IMO the operators need to stop looking at Data as a "nice to have" and see it more as an "essential", and prioritise it accordingly. GPRS isn't ADSL, which many of us take for granted now, so they need to be realistic about its value. It feels like they're trying to screw every last penny out of GPRS before 3G data comes out (and to fund it as well probably)
Guest mattscholey Posted October 17, 2003 Report Posted October 17, 2003 I've probably missed something, but does 3G have a way of transferring data (like the interneta and email for the spv) other than GPRS. I've always associated 3G with just being video calls, but is there more to it than that. Matt
Guest Firaas Posted October 18, 2003 Report Posted October 18, 2003 I've probably missed something, but does 3G have a way of transferring data (like the interneta and email for the spv) other than GPRS. I've always associated 3G with just being video calls, but is there more to it than that. 3G utilises Packet Switching (GPRS) but a faster version of it, going at 384kbit/s. Unfortunately the Three network does not allow access to the internet outside of its chargeable content services, so it's not really possible to establish the quality of its service until one of the operators releases full net access over 3rd generation networks.
Guest mariolouis Posted October 18, 2003 Report Posted October 18, 2003 55 pounds is way too high!!! i only consume around 2 pounds/month (Php1=90pounds). making it 5 pounds (around 500 pesos) would be reasonable enough.
Guest Manawydan Posted October 18, 2003 Report Posted October 18, 2003 Hi folks, Just a quick question... the mail that notified us of the petition said: "Now that the SPV GPRS offer has drawn to a close" When I got my SPV at an Orange Shop, I'm sure they said the GPRS was free for 3 months but I was then charged for it. When I phoned Orange Customer Services they said it was WAP only. Was there a trail period this year for GPRS on the SPV for Orange customers? Cheers!
Guest mattscholey Posted October 18, 2003 Report Posted October 18, 2003 A few months ago you could get GPRS free on the SPV for £6/month. It included internet access (unlike the Open Access promotion which is just for WAP), but there was a fair usage policy, which meant if you used more than 10MB a month you were cut off. And the offer only lasted for a few months. Unfortunately this all happened before I got my SPV so I want unable to take advantage of it. Matt
Guest mcwarre Posted October 19, 2003 Report Posted October 19, 2003 It included internet access (unlike the Open Access promotion which is just for WAP), but there was a fair usage policy, which meant if you used more than 10MB a month you were cut off. They had no way of enforcing this 10MB limit (IMHO). I used an average of 18MB/month with no probs. No paying for it don't use it :cry:
Guest clv101 Posted October 19, 2003 Report Posted October 19, 2003 What happens to the cost of data when we get 384kbps GRPS pipes with 3G as was mentioned above - charging £2 per MB sounds a VERY expensive way to using a 384kbps pipe - £5.60 per minute. What service is worth that?
Guest chucky.egg Posted October 19, 2003 Report Posted October 19, 2003 What happens to the cost of data when we get 384kbps GRPS pipes with 3G as was mentioned above - charging £2 per MB sounds a VERY expensive way to using a 384kbps pipe - £5.60 per minute. What service is worth that? if we ever get 384kbps it wont be charged at the same rate I wouldn't have thought. 3G speeds need not affect the amount of data you "consume" though, just the rate at which data is transferred.
Guest clv101 Posted October 23, 2003 Report Posted October 23, 2003 This thread has gone very quiet - Paul, can we have another update on the petition?
Guest mattscholey Posted October 23, 2003 Report Posted October 23, 2003 You took this off the homepage when Orange announced £25 for unlimited GPRS with a latop GPRS card. Do you think this deal answers our petition before we sent it out? Matt
Guest Paul [MVP] Posted October 23, 2003 Report Posted October 23, 2003 No, not at all, it was just too much room on the portal, it's still sticky in every area. P
Guest stu_lowe2003 Posted October 31, 2003 Report Posted October 31, 2003 new gprs bundles on orange coming out 3rd november. Apparently considerably cheaper Stu
Guest mattscholey Posted November 1, 2003 Report Posted November 1, 2003 Sounds like great news. Whats your source on it. Where can we find out more. Matt
Guest lowbug Posted November 1, 2003 Report Posted November 1, 2003 Signed... :) Posted from my SmartPhone!
Guest djboo Posted November 5, 2003 Report Posted November 5, 2003 i ordered my flat rate gprs today... if you arent a business its £52 a month, no fair use as far as i can see... u cant order online yet, my order was the first the girl processed too. it sounds expensive, but im gonna cancel my landline and £15 a month dialup... when u consider i had a 25meg gprs pack anyways, its actually gonna cost me less and be a lot cooler... just gotta convince orange to replace my faulty spv100 with a 200 and life will be perfect and sheeps will frolick or something
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