Porting to another network — while keeping your number — means you can shop across networks for the best deal.
According to Mark Taylor, managing director at Nashua Mobile, the first step a subscriber should take when selecting a package is to look at his or her monthly call costs and budget. This information can be used to evaluate packages according to their cost and the benefits they offer.
“We break down subscriptions into three main categories according to monthly call costs and minutes used — low usage, mid usage and high usage. Subscribers are advised to choose a package that offers free minutes that are as close to their actual monthly usage as possible,” says Taylor.
For example, if you use 200 to 250 minutes a month, you should go for an appropriate contract, such as Talk 200/240 on Vodacom, Procall 150/220 on MTN or and Active Chat 220 on Cell C.
Subscribers should also take into account when they make most of their calls: during peak or off-peak hours and if these calls are mostly made to people on the same network or on a different network.
The mid- to high-value packages from all the networks cater better for anytime minutes/seconds and are usually better options for consumers who make many calls during peak times or who need to phone subscribers regularly across all three networks. Packages with anytime minutes/seconds include the Talk packages from Vodacom, Procall packages from MTN and Active Chat/Business Chat from Cell C.
Taylor says subscribers should look at how long they spend on the phone when they make a call. “People who make long calls (usually more than a minute) should look at packages that are billed per minute, while those who make calls that average out at well under a minute should opt for a per-second billing option.”
He says, for those who want complete control over their spending, a “hybrid” package might be the best option. Various hybrids, which offer a mixture of prepaid and contract benefits, are available from MTN (Mychoice TopUps), Vodacom (Family Top Ups and Business Top Ups), and Cell C (Control Chat).
Taylor says a package should be chosen to be in line with the required usage and budget of the user and should include a good handset for the package, spend and user needs. “It is better first to choose the contract to meet one’s budget and usage and then review the handset. Avoid choosing the handset first and ignoring usage, as you might loseÂout on the costing of the usage over the full 24 months.”
Taylor says features such as data (including free SMSes and megabytes of data in certain contracts) and telemetry solutions should also be taken into account when choosing an optimal cellphone solution.
Pay as you go or contract?
Before signing a contract, check to see whether a pay-as-you-go option would be better suited to your needs.
Affordability plays an important part because you will be linked into a long-term contract. Do you meet the minimum requirements, such as a regular salary? Do you have the cash flow to maintain fixed monthly subscription payments? Do you want to be tied down and do you really need unrestricted call spending?
Taylor says the main difference between prepaid and contract is that the prepaid option allows the user to control cellular spending by paying for calls up front according to his or her budget.
By contrast, contract users are billed in arrears and will pay for usage at the end of the month. A contract user can spend as much as he or she wants to during the month and will only have to pay for it at the end of the month. If you are not careful, this could be a big shock to your budget.
But, Taylor says, the biggest benefits of a contract are that the call rates are lower and that subscribers can obtain subsidised handsets easily without spending any money up front.
Contract subscribers get regular bills with itemised call information, as well as certain services available on contract only, such as international roaming. “The introduction of hybrid packages means subscribers can now get the best of both worlds. They can get the price and handset benefits usually attached to contract packages, while paying for their calls up front and controlling their spending,” says Taylor.
What is available
www.nashuamobile.com provides a comparison table. You can select those packages that best suit your needs and see which network is offering the right prices. First you need to understand what your requirements are.
- For the low-usage person who spends up to R150 a month:
- Vodacom: Family Call, Family Top Up (75/135), Weekender Everyday
- MTN: Mycall 100, Mychoice (75/75 TopUp)
- Cell C: Control Chat (50/75/100/ 125/150), Casual Chat (100/anytime)
For mid-usage spending between R150 to R550:
- Vodacom: Business Call, Frequent Call, Talk packages (100/120/200/240), Family Top Up (200/275), Business Top Up (315/400/500)
- MTN: Business Time, Mychoice (150/150 TopUp/300/300 TopUp), Procall (120/150/220)
- Cell C: Business Chat Standard, Active Chat (100/220), Control Chat (175 through to 500)
For high-usage business user spending more than R550:
- Vodacom: Talk packages (500/1000), Top Up 590
- MTN: Procall (300/600/1000), Mychoice 705
- Cell C: Business Chat (400/700/ 1000), Control Chat (600/700)