Mobile broadband rates

[Dangerjunkie]

Hi,

I just posted the following to the Vodafone eForum section that is dedicated to discussing the future of mobiles and what we want from them. I was surprised that I got a message requires moderation flag when I sent it. I'm not quite so surprised that it seems to have got lost and not been approved by the moderators:

Hi,

The thing I would like most from Vodafone is more competitive data costs, particularly outside bundle. I acknowledge things are getting better but I still think there's a way to go.

The two bundle prices I would use as an example are the USB stick rate of £15 a month for 3GB and the data bundle I've seen mentioned of £7.50 for 500MB. The per meg prices on these work out at:

£15    /  3072MB = 0.5p per MB
£7.50 /    500MB = 1.5p per MB


As a reference I'm paying £1 per GB ( £1 / 1024MB = 0.1p per MB) retail if I go over bundle on my broadband in my office. Since Vodafone buy bandwidth wholesale in huge quantities I think it's pretty safe to assume they are paying a decent chunk less per MB than I am paying retail. I'm not asking for something for nothing; I recognise the investment VF have to put in and expect to pay a reasonable premium for the convenience of having my data available mobile.

Out of bundle data with VF costs about £2 per MB. That is 400 times the price of the middle USB stick plan per MB, 133 times the price of the data bundle and 2000 times what I pay my office ISP retail. Like I said I'm not asking for something for nothing but the 3G USB stick data plans make it clear that VF can economically supply data for rates of less than 2p per MB (I'm assuming they make a profit on the USB data plans.) An MB is nothing these days; If I go through security, log into my customer's Outlook Web Access and view the list of emails in my inbox without actually reading any of them it takes around an MB.

The things I would like are:

• To be able to buy extra data for my 3G handset at rates comparable with the USB stick plans every month and to be able to ring up and say "Can I have an extra 3GB of data this month please?" "Certainly Sir, that will be £15."
• To have the out-of-bundle rates for data brought down to something in line with the in-bundle rates (plus a bit for being out of bundle). I would consider something around 5p per MB reasonable.

If I had this then I would never bother with hotel broadband and use VF all the time when I travel. If VF wanted to make sure I wouldn't even think of leaving then charging similar rates if I want data when I'm roaming abroad on any Vodafone-owned network would do the trick

What do you think? How do they think it is reasonable to sell me data at £5 per GB then if I go a meg over charge me £2 per MB from that point on?

Cheers,
Paul.

edit: fixed some cosmetic issues from the cut and paste.

[Rik]

It isn't reasonable, Paul, but the market allows them to get away with it. I'm surprised your post got censored though.

[Dangerjunkie]

I just find it amazing that 99.75% of the price I pay for data is to them for delivering it. That would be like me calling them, asking for a new battery for my phone and them saying "That will be £35 ,Sir. There will be a delivery charge of £14,000. How would you like to pay?"

Hopefully IDNet will launch a mobile phone and data deal to go with the new landline service...

Cheers,
Paul.

[Rik]

Interesting thought, Paul.

[Simon]

O2 offer an 'unlimited' data bolt on for £7.50 per month, which I find invaluable.

[Rik]

Is that of unlimited value, Simon.

[Simon]

[Philip]

O2 offer an 'unlimited' data bolt on for £7.50 per month, which I find invaluable.

T-Mobile do one similar, £7.50 for a 3 gig data limit which is almost as good as unlimited 

[Glenn]

3 & T Mobile are creating a mobile broadband network at the moment and are sharing transmission masts.

[Philip]

3 & T Mobile are creating a mobile broadband network at the moment and are sharing transmission masts.

no 3G where I live though, but 500 yards away on the beach.................3G 

[Rik]

Sadly typical of things wireless, Philip. We have one room which has no coverage and I can't for the life of me work out why.

[Glenn]

When I was last in their office, they were talking about an extra 15 - 20000 masts to be erected, god know where they will put them all. Most of 3's network is along the main transport links in the country, wander too far off the main roads or out of the big towns/cities, and you will switch to a 2G service.

[Philip]

Sadly typical of things wireless, Philip. We have one room which has no coverage and I can't for the life of me work out why.

at work, according to T-Mobiles checker, there is no 3G coverage......................guess what, I get full 3G signal 

[Rik]

Careful, Philip, you used the W word.

[Dangerjunkie]

Update...

After 4 days my post passed moderation and is on the Vodafone eForum. The post before also needed moderating and appeared in about 2 hours.

[Rik]

They should get a decent admin team, Paul.

[Simon]

I wonder how many people have the patience for that?  It's certainly a way to run a forum, if you don't want to be bothered by members. 

[Rik]

Should we hold a poll on the idea, Simon? 

[Simon]