8.ta launches SA’s cheapest mobile broadband

8.ta slashed the entry-level for mobile broadband today, announcing they would offer 10GB data bundles for R199 a month, with an extra 10GB to be used after hours for R100 a month.

8.ta, South Africa’s fourth and newest mobile network operator, is going to market with a low cost mobile broadband promotion for South Africans Internet users. While these are the lowest mobile broadband rates on the market, they don’t include the modem. However, users will be able to use the 8.ta SIM cards in any other network’s modems.

The new post-paid Internet 5 Promotion offers subscribers a 10GB data bundle at R199 per month with the option of an additional 10GB Midnight Surfer data bundle at R100 per month for use between 12am and 5am. Subscribers in essence, will be getting 20GB’s of data at R299 and will therefore be paying as little as 1.5 cents per MB ‚ the lowest mobile broadband rate available in South Africa, says Amith Maharaj, Managing Executive of Telkom Mobile.

‚To mark the launch of our new high speed network 8.ta is ‚Going Big‚ with an amazing promotional data offer for a limited time period. Mobile broadband users will agree that the value provided in this offer cannot easily be found anywhere in the world‚ , Maharaj said.

Maharaj further added that ‚while the sale of the offer will be for a limited time, it is important to note that customers who sign up will be eligible for the Internet 5 promotional price as well as the Midnight Surfer price for the full 24 months‚ .

The offer will be available from Sunday, 26 June at 8.ta flagship stores, selected Telkom Direct stores, via the Call Center on 081125, online at www.8ta.com and Nashua Mobile.

With 8.ta’s new data promotion, high monthly subscription is removed as the barrier to entry for first time subscribers while seasoned mobile broadband subscribers will find the price per MB to be extremely attractive. Many first time subscribers fear running out of bundle and receiving huge bills at the end of the month, however, with a combination of the large bundle, and 8ta’s unique redirect functionality, this concern is circumvented.

To prevent bill shock, 8.ta provides users with a ‚safety net’ to check balances and make out-of-bundle purchase decision in real-time using the redirect functionality. Subscribers on the Internet 5 Promotion and Midnight Surfer have the option to purchase a once-off bundle or utilise out of bundle rates.

With the average size of an electronic music file (MP3) download of 4MB, 10GB will allow 2560 MP3 music track downloads. 10GB will also allow 12 full length movie downloads if the average size of a movie is 800MB.

Further innovation for 8.ta data subscribers is a free email account with online Office Web Applications such as MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint to store documents online without having to purchase a license. Subscribers will also have access to a free home support service with every purchase of a 3G data modem from 8ta.

The Internet 5 Promotion and Midnight Surfer will only be offered on 8.ta’s network. The following link, available on the 8.ta website, provides a comprehensive coverage map for those who want to check if they are within the coverage area – http://www.8ta.com/coverage/i5promo prior to making a purchase decision.

The post-paid data bundles are valid for the current calendar month. ‚We have removed the modem from the offer so that customers have the freedom to utilise their existing compatible modems or buy a compatible modem that suits their needs‚ , adds Maharaj.

The following data modems are available at 8.ta stores:

· Huawei E173 (Capable of up to 7.2Mbps Downlink and up to 5.76 Uplink Speed)

· Huawei E367 (Capable of up to 21.6Mbps Downlink and up to 5.76 Uplink Speed)

· Huawei E1820 (Capable of up to 21.6Mbps Downlink and up to 5.76 Uplink Speed)

Gadget recommends that users with heavy data demands consider this option in conjunction with the Cell C high-speed modem, e.g. a speed stick for R749 with a total of 3GB of data included. or a 12-month contract with 2GB of data per month for R1499 up front.