What is Mobile Internet? Mobile internet is a way of getting online when you re on the move via portable devices such as mobile phones, tablets and personal computers. These allow you to do everything you would on a fixed connection-whether that s sending emails, surfing the web and even streaming video and music. RWANDA UTILITIES REGULATORY AGENCY B.P 7289 Kigali, Rwanda (+250) 252 58 45 62/252 58 45 63 Tol free: 3988 info@rura.gov.rw www.rura.gov.rw MOBILE INTERNET BUNDLE RATES COMPARISON These devices can access the web using in-built wireless network cards or via the use of external modems. What then is mobile broadband? Mobile broadband is a form of mobile internet that supports speeds of more than 256 kbps. Can I access mobile broadband services using my desktop? The fact that mobile broadband services were services were designed for people on- the go does not mean that it cannot be used on desktops and PCs. PCs can be connected using external modems/ dongles. Modems & Platforms What exactly are modems? Modems are small sized devices usually same size as USB memory stick that enable internet connectivity when inserted into USB port making mobile broadband a truly portable experience. Are all modems similar? No, each network provider may offer a range of different modems depending on the internet speeds one wishes to purchase respective operator s network design. Modems may be CDMA, HSPDA,3G enabled etc. Can I use modems across networks for example, can one use a TIGO modem to access MTN services? No, unfortunately modems are usually network/operator locked. What kind of phones can access mobile internet services?
Only WAP enabled handsets can access mobile internet. Most phones on the market can at least support slow speed (narrow band) internet connectivity. You are advised to check if your handset supports internet and at what speeds at the time of purchase. Are there any service differences between the network access mediums advertised by the different operators? Yes, different access mediums support different download speeds and not all mediums are available everywhere. The table below shows service differences between the major mobile broadband access mediums in Rwanda today. Coverage Maximum speeds support Providers: Airtel, MTN, TIGO Pricing EDGE/GPRS 3G+ WIMAX Most areas in Mostly around Mostly around Rwanda Kigali Kigali 175 kbps Up to 21 mbps 3 mbps What are the relevant service charges for mobile broadband? There are 4 major areas one should pay attention to when choosing a mobile broadband services: The medium of access; whether one intends to access the internet via a mobile phone or via the use of a modem. Whether one is to by the service as a dedicated data bundle or would use regular airtime credit to access the service Technology platform; GPRS/EDGE/3G+ et al Service coverage of network provider Service providers are advertising many offers with(s) mbs for (y) months. What do these mean? Kb, Mb, GB.
These are measures of the amount of data (processed information) that one can exchange (upload or download) to and from the internet when one purchases a particular bundle. The table below shows these measures. Amount Equivalent Approximate Volume in Kbs 1 kilobyte (kb) 1024 Bytes 1 1 Megabyte (mb) 1024 kb 1,024 1 Gigabyte (Gb) 1024 mb 1,024 x 1,024 So how much data does one on average need? This depends on the projected usage. Approximately the following data volumes are required for the following: Activity Volume of data estimate 1000 emails without an attachment 1 MB 3 emails with an attachment 1 MB 1 email with 3 photo attachments 1 Mb 1 hour spent chatting online 1 Mb 1 hour web browsing 200MB Downloading on 3 minute MP3 4MB Downloading on 10 minute video 40MB Downloading on film trailer 10MB Should one pay attention to Validity periods in quoted offers? Yes; Validity period is the duration in which a given bundle may be used. For most bundles, one forfeits all unused data upon expiry of this period.you may however carryover unused data for some operators. Find out from your operator if unused data may be carried beyond the validity period. Can I only purchase internet in bundles? No, many operators offer what is called Pay as You Use options. Usually you will be charged a given price per kb. However, the per kb rate is much higher than the comparative bundle rates. Take caution when you opt into any Pay as You schemes. You may consider finding out from your operator what their Pay As You use rates are. These rates also automatically apply when a bundle runs out. In addition some operators have in place Unlimited bundles for given period. How do I keep track of data volumes used? Like voice credit, one can check data volume balance by dialing prescribed USSD codes. Below are data balance
checks for all operators. Further, some operators send regular SMSs on the status of data usage. Some operators have in place a Fair Use Policy, what exactly does this mean? Fair Use policies are terms of service detailing acceptable usage as prescribed by the individual operators. Some operators may prescribe such terms as maximum downloads accepted, resale policies among others. Please consult your service about the Fair usage Policy. Any more tips on mobile broadband purchases? For the price conscious, avoid Pay As You go options where possible; Be vigilant about the validity period of the data bundle you buy; Ask about the network platform available to your service provider Ask about the service coverage Anything else? The tables and graphs below chow comparisons of common bundles, speeds, out of bundle rates for mobile broadband providers as of September 2012, they may help you in making cross network comparisons. Before you buy any internet service: COMPARISONS OF COMMON BUNDLES, SPEEDS, OUT OF BUNDLE RATES FOR MOBILE BROADBAND PROVIDERS 24 Hours Bundles Network Provider Cost Validity Service Class Happy Hour tariff(rwf/day) MTN 10 1:00am to 6:00am Prepaid and Postpaid Airtel 10 00:00-5:59 Prepaid and Postpaid TIGO N/A N/A N/A Daily package(rwf/day) MTN unlimited internet 1,000 1 day Prepaid TIGO internet package 800 1 day Prepaid AIRTEL daily bundle 650 1 day Prepaid Normal tariff(rwf/mb) AIRTEL 20 6: 00-00:00 Prepaid and Postpaid TIGO 50 N/A Prepaid and Postpaid MTN 30 N/A Prepaid and Postpaid
1 Week Bundles MTN 7day package for prepaid customers Package Cost Validity Service Class Unlimited 6,500 7 days Prepaid Blackberry (BIS or BES) 6,000 7 days Prepaid Blackberry (BIS+BES) 7,000 7 days Prepaid
1 Month Bundles/MTN MTN monthly blackberry internet and prepaid unlimited (Rwf/month) Package Cost Validity Service Class 30 days prepaid Unlimited 21,000 30 days Prepaid Blackberry (BIS or BES) 20,000 30 days Prepaid and Postpaid Blackberry (BIS+BES) 25,000 30 days Prepaid and Postpaid One month bundles (low and medium value up to 1gb) (Rwf/month) MTN prepaid 250MB 3,000 30 days Prepaid MTN prepaid 500MB 5,000 30 days Prepaid MTN prepaid 1GB 8,000 30 days Prepaid TIGO postpaid 0.5 GB 10,000 30 days Postpaid
TIGO postpaid more than 1GB monthly bundles rates (Rwf/month) 2 GB 20,000 30 days Postpaid 8 GB 40,000 30 days Postpaid 10 GB 50,000 30 days Postpaid 12 GB 60,000 30 days Postpaid 14GB 70,000 30 days Postpaid 16GB 80,000 30 days Postpaid 18GB 90,000 30 days Postpaid 20GB 100,000 30 days Postpaid MTN prepaid 90 day bundle rates (Rwf/90 days) Package Cost Validity Service Class 5GB 15,000 90 days Prepaid 10GB 25,000 90 days Prepaid 20GB 43,000 90 days Prepaid