[ad_1]
Vodacom vs Rain
- Vodacom launched its 5G network this week, following the introduction of Rain’s 5G network last year.
- Prices start at R899 p / m from Vodacom, while Rain offers slightly more expensive uncaps packages.
- Those prices compare well to the closet rivals of 5G, fixed LTE, and fiber, and sometimes 5G is even cheaper.
- But coverage is still limited, so it depends on where you live.
- For more stories go to Business Insider home page.
Superfast 5G service is now available in several cities in South Africa through two different providers. And if you’re thinking of switching fiber or 4G LTE, our numbers say you can end up saving money, as long as you live in the right place.
Right now, your 5G options are limited to two networks: Vodacom and Rain, the data-only network; for various reasons, there is still not much competition
Still, 5G is cheaper than you think. At Vodacom, it’s actually R300 per month cheaper than the newer version of 4G called, LTE Advanced (LTE-A). And Rain’s capless offering is a substantial R500 per month cheaper than OpenWeb’s 4G LTE-A capless offering.
Please note that 5G service is only available in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town. And if you’re in Cape Town, you can only get 5G from Vodacom, where the signal is mainly restricted around Century City. However, coverage in all areas will steadily increase as cell phone towers are upgraded.
5G is the latest iteration of the mobile data standards, and it is approximately ten times faster than 4G, and one hundred times faster than 3G.
Given the sufficient radio spectrum, it will operate at average speeds of 150Mbps to 200Mbps, with maximum speeds reaching over 1Gbps. A Full HD movie will download in about 3 minutes (compared to more than 15 minutes in 4G), says Vodacom.
5G will cost you between R699 and R1,799 per month.
At Vodacom, customers can subscribe to a 5G fixed internet plan, which starts at R899 per month for 100GB of data at any time and 100GB of “night owl” data (between midnight and 05:00), and that includes a router Nokia. The most expensive plan costs R1,799 per month for 400GB at any time and 400GB of “night owl” data, with a Huawei router.
For now, mobile users can get Vodacom’s 5G service if they have an LG V50 ThinQ, which will cost R13,499 or R699 per month for 24 months.
Rain has a much simpler pricing structure, with just two packages. Both are monthly contracts, have unlimited data, and include a Huawei router. For R699 a month, you can get speeds of around 30 Mbps and for R999 a month, you will get speeds of around 200Mbps.
To check if you are in a Vodacom 5G coverage area, click on itre. For rain cover, go to your home page and scroll to the end.
Those 5G prices compare really well to the competition.
5G is cheaper than Vodacom’s own LTE-A package, which costs R1,199 per month for 100GB of data at any time and 100GB of nite owl data for 24 months.
However, for the sake of comparison, we will only compare 5G fixed internet with more widely available 4G LTE fixed packages. Typical download speeds for 4G LTE connections are between 10Mbps and 30Mbps, but in theory it can go much faster.
At Afrihost, you can get MTN LTE for R599 per month. This includes the router, 100 GB of data at any time and 100 GB of “nite owl” data. For R999, you can get 200 GB of data at any time and 200 GB of “nite owl” data.
That’s the same price as Rain’s fastest unlimited 5G service.
WebAfrica offers fixed Telkom LTE for R769 per month. This includes the router, 120 GB of data at any time and 120 GB of “nite owl” data. For R1,069 you can get the device, 220 GB of data at any time and 220 GB of “nite owl” data.
A typical fiber line is around 10Mpbs to 20Mbps, although it can go much, much faster if you’re willing to pay. A 40Mbps fiber line at Telkom costs R1,199 per month, and you will pay R917 per month for a 40Mbps fiber line through Afrihost and Openserve.
The verdict: Rain is a price winner, for now.
If you’re looking for an investment for your money, then Rain is a R999 Monthly Winner for Unlimited Data. However, fiber is not far behind and will only continue to get faster. Speeds will hit up to 5G soon, so keep in mind you might be back on a fiber connection a few years down the road.
Vodacom vs Rain price comparison
Receive a daily update on your cell phone with all our latest news: click here.
Get the best of our site by email daily: Click here.
Also from Business Insider South Africa:
[ad_2]
