For a long time my beef with Safaricom has been on the wording of unlimited internet access. I have said this several times, charge me what you want but give me a given time frame where I can access the net without restrictions. For some of us who literally do everything online, on one hand there is a download going on, on the other hand there is uploading of the files going and more than 20 browser tabs open at the same time. With the bundle method you find yourself the real donor to Safaricom without any rewards…..jeeez…
Now that has changed with the new tariff. Ok, let me start from the beginning, Safaricom today is launching a new data tariff billed at Ksh.2 per minute. By the way the billing part is per second but a total of 2 bob per minute. Yes charging is per second for the duration over which you have an active data connection for both mobile phones and modems i.e you stop being charged once you disconnect from the internet. It’s important to disconnect your mobile phone or modem from the internet while you aren’t browsing to ensure you don’t continue to be charged. That is right guys…more so for those of you complaining about Android eating all your credits….
How limited is the unlimited part of it? For Ksh.2 within one minute, you are completely accessing the internet unlimited. In other words the rate is flat. You are charged at 2/- per minute regardless of the amount of data you download, upload, browse, tweet, chat and MKZed. There are no hidden charges according to sources within Safaricom.
The browse at 2/- per minute is valid as long as you have airtime. So the minute you go broke to the point of considering okoa jahazi, Safaricom will leave you alone.. Confirmed. All that means is that this new tariff is basically for those on prepay arrangement..mmmh Post pay guys sorry..
Once upon time Safaricom used to like the dreaded Terms and Conditions applied to anything they brought to the market, be it service on offer or permanent tariffs and others. Then Airtel came in and made those words evil and now for sure on the new data tariff, there is nothing like that. God bless competition…
Activation and Deactivation
Back to the basic and the beginning how do you get in? Simple, send an SMS with the word ON to 142 and this will activate your number to this tariff. Now you are a member….You can also dial *142# from your mobile phone to activate this service. Due to many numbers I have to remember these days, I find it hard to keep mobile phone operators different short codes in my head. If you are like me, you are welcome to come back here anytime and check.
You want out as I know some will do, send an SMS with the word OFF to 142 from your mobile phone or modem line. An SMS confirmation message will be sent upon successful deactivation.
At Ksh.2 per minute is not that cheap. I mean compared to what is already in the market like orange Ksh.950 for seven days Unlimited. But we all know that Safaricom has one distinct advantage over the others. The speed.
So why I am excited about this tariff? For a long time the Safaricom charges have been based on the data bundles. Data bundles are tricky customers to any user. When you chuck ksh.1000 to buy a data bundle of 600MB, you can use that for a whole month or you can use that in the next five minutes. The main difference is that browse at 2 charges you on the duration of time over which you access the internet while for the existing data bundles you are charged based on the volume of data accessed. If you are a heavy data user then data bundles might not work for you unless the cash is your other name like the real Mike Sonko. . Now you can see why my safaricom modem has been resting somewhere at the corner of my house for many months despite the fact that I have to use the damn slow others.
With this tariff if you chuck Ksh.100 to top up. You know that you will be using that for the next 50 minutes. Within that time you have full access of the internet including downloading and uploading of files. Let just call it the cyber model, or something like that.
In Summary
- Active data bundles will have to be consumed first until they are exhausted or expired before you can enjoy per minute billing.
- Existing out of bundle internet rates are applicable if you have not subscribed to any data plan i.e. either existing PrePay data bundles or browse at 2/- tariff.
- This Tariff is not applicable to roaming subscribers. Roamers will be migrated to the volume based data plan.
- Charging is per second for the duration over which you have an active internet connection and you will stop being charged once you disconnect from the internet.
- This service is only applicable to PrePay subscribers.
- Going nowhere, you still earn Bonga points while browsing using this tariff.
- To top up use the existing top up methods such as Safaricom scratch cards, M-PESA, Sambaza etc.
Thats 120/= per hour. Like you said, not too cheap, but it does allow you to manage cost more effectively when using a modem.
For a phone, I think bundles are still optimal
Unlimited? lemmie see……2/= per minute 120/= per hour>2880/= per day> 20,160/= per week.
Orange unlimited is 950/= per week!!. . Safaricom,… this is still too much.
Very true! It’s targeting modem users.
Simple calculations will show you the benefits:
If you do an average of 300kbps on your modem for 60 seconds, you will have transferred 18MB for only Kshs. 2 (Kshs 0.111/Mb). Not bad at all!
If you do an average of 300kbps on your modem for 60 seconds, you will have transferred 18MB for only Kshs. 2 (Kshs 0.111/Mb). Not bad at all! :-)
am still waiting to see that practical option from Safaricom for entry level smart phone users. Also guys are used to facebooking for hours on end on that bamba something. But it makes sense if we call it the “cyber model” for modem use.
Unless u r downloading or uploading something Samuel. You cant browse and get 18MB per minute. The speed is OK, yes, but how many people can utilize this?
When you put it like that then it looks very expensive but on the brighter side there is that well defined measurement of what you are using. With data bundles there is that uncertainty, i mean when you access a website, you are not sure how heavy it is and before downloading anything you have to think like three times. Compared to what Safaricom has outside there, this is a better option for option for heavy users by far.
Yes, U R right…. Heavy users!
For the phone users as @Mwirigi noted, this might not be the best option. I would still prefer that one of ksh.8 for 10Mbs or ksh.20 for 25mb daily.
Joe, lets be honest, it is more expensive than Orange by far, but unless you’re running a server, you don’t have an internet connection on 24 hours a day 30 days a month!
Realistically an average power user would do maybe 2-4 hours a day weekdays and perhaps 4-6 weekends, so thats Ksh 240 – 480 per day weekdays and Ksh. 480- 720 weekends. Thats still WAY higher than Orange, but it does give one the ability to control their usage and per second billing is easier to understand for most users
So, 240-480 per weekday. 480-720 weekend. How many can afford? We have cybers 1Mbps @ 50cent per minute.
Also consider this. If am using a 3G mobile phone,…. how much data can i access in 1 hr.
For modem users i agree with you if you are downloading some stuff or browsing heavy pages CONTINUOUSLY!. The speed, content and cost might be reasonable.
You have to agree with me though,… average users will be on the losing side which is the case to over 80% of users.
U need unlimited stable connection? n u r stuck to safaricom? go for WIMAX
http://www.safaricom.co.ke/fileadmin/Safaricom_Business/Documents/Safaricom_Fixed_Data_Service.pdf
Otherwise, 2/= per minute is too much
We have reached a point of agreement!!!
My phones internet connection is on 24/7 for me to receive e-mails in real time. That would cost me the 28K you mentioned earlier. That would be patently ridiculous, but for a heavy download 2-3 hours of Safaricom broadband would be suitable.
Since the data bundles have a separate billing system (i.e. One can still access the internet when airtime is depleted if the data bundle still has Mbs and balance enquiries come from separate systems) I think a mix of the two is good. Bundle for everyday use, per second for data heavy downloads.
This would mean a savvy user can use data bundles for Facebook, E-mail etc but per second data billing for Windows Software updates, Anti-virus updates etc
too high rates to Safaricom compared to other networks.2 shillings per min may be you make mistake rectify it.
Nice Article! very informative.I think the word ‘unlimited’ is misused by these networks – of course, to their advantage:-D
Meanwhile, someone should come up with a way for consumers to easily access all these numbers associated with tariffs – a database of sort accessible via an app? i personally can’t keep up….
Theres this site @Uhusiano used to run http://misterfix.wordpress.com/, I think its now http://www.thetimpata.com/
It has tips on everything!! Tarriffs, promotions, Short codes, the works.
Thank you @Mwirigi – will check it out!
Thanks..today i used someone’s office with Safaricom WIMAX installation and i was impressed with the speed and the cost. I think it something to consider
I hope they are reading…consensus ..good model but the cost is still high and there is need for them to reduce it. Mmmm what would be the best rate Ksh.1/min? or 50 cents/min?
This is nice. Think of all the things I can do with 1 hr of unlimited 3G internet. Though it’s not a good option if you are not a brute force downloader/browser. Anyhow, a good strategic move by Safaricom
This price war has been amazing for consumers, remember the days when KES 1000 was eaten fast up by a safaricom modem, now it just keeps getting better and better.
2/= per minute is still too much for kenyans
Unless you reduce the rates, very few will opt for your option. With this rate, let’s not be cheated that any Kenyan will try. IT IS TOO MUCH FOR LAYMEN. If orange unlimited per week is 995 and safaricom 20, 000, which is which? Even them themselves will go for orange. You can sweep the Kenyan market if you lower your rates. Why don’t the rate be 1,000 a month like the other time?
No i dont think we should sorry the post pay guy. 2bob a min for internet my foot. I spend time on the net sometimes idling why should i do the 2bob thingy. oh am not the target client
Joe you have a point. A strong one for that matter. I have used orange net and its fast. i have also used their ADSL at 3k a month unlimited. – no reason to complain at all. I spend most of the time connected but just iddle. meaning ; boy pay for what you aint using
As far as i can see it, most people think Ksh.2 is expensive. It might be a good idea but based on what people are saying, i think Safaricom should reassess the situation
Hi, I got a brochure for this. They have 1MB, 512Kbps & 256. The problem is that the brochure did not have a price. Which of the above was it & what was the price? Appreciate it.
My opinion on this offer is that it is a + to the heavy users, but a – for the light user.
Before the optical cable came to Kenya, providors like Safaricom had to route their packets over expensive satelite conections. The optical cable has now reduced the cost of routing packets by a massive factor. Why has the cost of internet access to the public not been reduced by a massive factor? Why is Internet Access cheap in Egypt but not in Kenya? So many questions – does anyone know the answers?
Before the optical cable came to Kenya, providors like Safaricom had to route their packets over expensive satelite conections. The optical cable has now reduced the cost of routing packets by a massive factor. Why has the cost of internet access to the public not been reduced by a massive factor? Why is Internet Access cheap in Egypt but not in Kenya? So many questions – does anyone know the answers?
Before the optical cable came to Kenya, providors like Safaricom had to route their packets over expensive satelite conections. The optical cable has now reduced the cost of routing packets by a massive factor. Why has the cost of internet access to the public not been reduced by a massive factor? Why is Internet Access cheap in Egypt but not in Kenya? So many questions – does anyone know the answers?