01 02 03 OLEM EDGE GLOBAL CONCEPT: How entrepreneurs can minimise data subscription cost 04 05 15 16 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 31 32 33

How entrepreneurs can minimise data subscription cost

34


Credit: New Telegraph
Telecommunication companies in Nigeria rake in as much as they could manage, every day, yet they provide the consumers with almost very poor services.
Often times, a consumer might recharge his or her sim-card with any sum for the purpose of subscribing to internet services, otherwise known as Data-Bundles or Data-Services – only to realise that an amount has been deducted from the balance that is on the sim: the consumer has no choice, but to purchase a little amount of airtime (again).
This experience, over time, now brings about the composition of this article: how could an entrepreneur reduce the cost of data subscription?

We will first look at the various data charges of each of the four major telecommunication companies that operate in the country, and then we will look at how an entrepreneur can reduce the cost of data subscription.
Airtel Nigeria: Data Plans
Plan
Data  Allowance (Bonus Inclusive)
Retail Price (N)
Validity period
Direct Activation Code
DATA BUNDLES
Entry
4MB
50
1 day
*141*11*9#
Daily
10MB
100
1 day
*410#
3-day
25MB
200
3 days
*412#
Weekly
50MB
300
7 days
*417#
Easy
80 MB
500
14 days
*418#
Lite
260MB
1,000
30 days
*420#
Midi
400MB
1,300
30 days
*421#
Smartphone1
1GB
2,000
30 days
*423#
Smart phone 2
2GB
3,000
30 days
*451#
Plus
3.9GB
5,000
30 days
*452#
Max
7.6GB
8,000
30 days
*460#
Premium
13.3GB
15,000
30 days
*462#
Prime
19.9GB
22,000
30 days
*463#
DAY, NIGHT AND WEEKEND BUNDLES
Day
150MB
500
24 hours
*141*12*5#
Night Time (Off  Peak)
3.9GB
2,500
30 days
*141*12*4#
Weekend_200
200MB
200
midnight, same day
*472#
Weekend_500
500MB
500
midnight, same day
*473#
Weekend_1000
1GB
1,000
30 days
*474#
Weekend_3000
3GB
3,000
30 days
*475#
ANDROID BUNDLES
Android 2.0
2GB
2,000
30 days
*437#
Android 4.5
4.5GB
3,500
30 days
*438#
SOCIAL BUNDLES
WTFB Monthly
80MB
200
30days
*990#
WTFB Monthly
30MB
100
7days
*991#
Facebook Bundle (Unlimited)
120MB
300
30days
*688*3#
Facebook Bundle (Monthly)
70MB
200
30days
*688*2#
Facebook Bundle (Weekly)
30MB
100
7days
*688*1#
BBM Bundle (Unlimited)
120MB
300
30days
*440*16#
BBM Bundle (Monthly)
80MB
200
7days
*440*17#
BBM Bundle (Weekly)
25MB
100
1day
*440*18#
WhatsApp Bundle
50MB
100
30days
*948#
Opera Mini Bundle (Monthly)
250MB
300
30days
*885*1#
Opera Mini Bundle (Bi-Weekly)
100MB
200
14days
*885*2#
Opera Mini Bundle (Weekly)
50MB
100
7days
*885*3#
BLACKBERRY PLANS
BB Unlimited
1.5GB
1500
30days
*440*16#
200MB
400
7days
*440*17#
40MB
80
1day
*440*18#
BB Complete
1GB
1400
30days
*440*1#
100MB
400
7days
*440*2#
10MB
100
1day
*440*3#
BB Social
1GB
1200
30days
*440*4#
100MB
400
7days
*440*5#
10MB
100
1day
*440*6#
BB Complete NEW
200MB
1,000
30days
*440*19#
50MB
350
7days
*440*20#
10MB
70
1day
*440*21#
BB 10 Max
1.5GB
3,000
30days
*440*7#
350MB
1,050
7days
*440*8#
50MB
200
1day
*440*9#
BIS Absolute
1GB
3000
30days
*440*21*4#
100MB
1000
7days
*440*21*5#
10MB
200
1day
*440*21*6#
BB 10 Midi
500MB
1,500
30days
*440*10#
130MB
525
7days
*440*11#
15MB
100
1day
*440*12#
BB 10 Lite
250MB
1,000
30days
*440*13#
80MB
350
7days
*440*14#
10MB
70
1day
*440*15#
BES
1GB
5750
30days
*440*000*130#
100MB
1500
7days
*440*000*17#
10MB
400
1day
*440*000*11#

Glo: Plan Details

Daily Plans
Plan Name
Price (N)
Data Volume
Validity
SMS to 127
USSD Code
Always Day
500
195MB
1 Day
10
*127*3#
Instant Surf
100
20MB
1 Day
51
*127*51#
Smallie
200
50MB
3 Days
56
*127*56#
 Weekly Plans
Plan Name
Price (N)
Data Volume
Validity
SMS to 127
USSD Code
One Week
400
65MB
7 Days
52
*127*52#
Big Week
500
150MB
7 Days
57
*127*57#
Monthly Plans
Plan Name
Price (N)
Data Volume
Validity
SMS to 127
USSD Code
Always Micro
1,000
300MB
30 Days
53
*127*53#
My Phone
2,000
853MB
30 Days
55
*127*55#
Always Macro
3,000
1.5GB
30 Days
54
*127*54#
Always Min
5,000
4GB
30 Days
11
*127*2#
Always Max
8,000
8GB
30 Days
12
*127*1#
Silver
10,000
11GB
30 Days
15
*127*11#
Gold
15,000
17GB
30 Days
16
*127*12#
Platinum
18,000
21GB
30 Days
17
*127*13#
 Flexi Plans
Plan Name
Price (N)
Data Volume
Validity
SMS to 127
USSD Code
G 100
6,000
4GB
100 Hrs or 30 days
20
*127*5#
G 300
15,000
12GB
300 Hrs or 3 Months
21
*127*4#
G-Leisure
5,000
4GB
8 AM to 9 PM – daily + All day on Weekends
30
*127*7#
G-Work
6,000
4GB
8 AM to 9 PM
31
*127*6#

MTN: Data Bundles
Bundle Plan
Price (N)
Validity Period
Activation Code (Text to 131)
Activation    Code
USSD
10MB
100
24 Hrs
104
*104#
25MB
150
24 Hrs
112
*112#
50MB
200
24 Hrs
113
*113#
150MB
500
7 Days
103
*103#
260MB
1000
30 Days
106
*106#
325MB
1300
30 Days
109
*109#
750MB
2000
30 Days
110
*110#
1.5GB
3500
30 Days
111
*111#
4.5GB Night plan (9PM-6AM)
2500
30 Days
102
*102#
4.5GB
6500
30 Days
129
*129#
7.5GB 
8000
30 Days
101
*101#
4.5GB (1.5GB day 6.01am-8.59pm and 3GB night 9pm-6am)
2500
30Days
120
*120#
Data Usage Guide
ACTIVITY
USAGE GUIDE
1 hour instant messaging
0.25MB- 1MB
1 hour of web browsing
1.5MB-25MB
Download 100 e-mails
1MB-10MB
1 hour on Facebook
2MB- 80MB
Download 1 photo
0.05MB-2Mb
Download 1 MP3 file
3MB- 8MB
1 software download
70MB-800MB
1 hour of video streaming ( e.g. YouTube) 
250Mb-500MB
Data Speed
Signal
Peak Speed
Average internet browsing speed
GPRS
115 kbps
33 – 35..8kbps
EDGE
384 kbps
Not Yet  Fully deployed
3G
384 kbps
100 - 240kbps
3.5G (HSDPA)
3.6 Mbps
800kbps
Notes: The table above represents the Peak data rates across the MTN network, and also shows the average transfer rate of data when accessing popular internet sites using the MTN Network. It should be noted that the actual speed experienced by the end user could be different from the table above due to other limitations, such as:
ETISALAT: Plans
S/N
Plans
Price(=N=)
USSD Code
SMS Keyword to 229
1
Daily 10MB
100
*229*3*1#
MI1
2
Weekly 50MB
500
*229*3*4#
MI2
3
200MB
1,000
*229*2*1#
MB2
4
500MB
2,000
*229*2*2#
MB3
5
1.5GB
4,000
*229*2*4#
MB4
6
Night & Weekend
4,000
*229*3*3#
MB7
7
3GB
6,500
*229*2*3#
MB5
8
6GB
8,000
*229*2*5#
MB6
9
10GB
10,000
*229*4*1#
SM1
10
15GB
15,000
*229*4*2#
SM2
11
20GB
18,000
*229*4*3#
SM3
How could an entrepreneur now reduce the cost of data subscription – in the face of so much confusing data-plans to choose from?
It would be by sticking to a plan at a time. Whatever the service provider that you patronise, you will find satisfaction – only when you stick to a plan at a time.
The reason for this is because of what happen when you opt out of one service and opt in to another service, at will. Often time, these communication service providers charge different sum over opting in and out of services, that at the end, you will realise that you have been wasting your money – which might cause you frustration.
Another thing that could help an entrepreneur to reduce the cost of data subscription is to use some data-services of other device for some other devices. In this regard, the type of your devices might help you.
For example, if a telecommunication company allows those that are using Android devices to use Blackberry data services, at a cheaper rate, it would be best for you to apply for such service: some Christians thought that this is ungodly.
Let me say this to those people. If it is ungodly to subscribe to a Blackberry Internet Service, BIS, and later use it for an Android device – it should be that those telecommunication companies that allow it, presently, have been hacked and those using the service are using it in illegal means.
Source: Great Nigeria
MTN as a company will never allow it but Airtel allows it: Airtel will even specify in some of their messages if a BIS is particularly for Blackberry, and in some cases they will inform you that a BIS is for Blackberry but experience and charges vary on other devices.
Hence, it is not ungodly, unchristian, and or unfaithful to use a data-plan that is meant for one device for another device or platform. All we care about is how to reduce our cost of data subscription.
Notwithstanding, this is not in anyway – to make you do something that is against your faith. If anybody believes that it is a sin to follow the tips in this write-up, that person is free to follow his or heart.
We can only wish you good luck in all that you do, and remember to apply for our services – at any time that you may need them.

Labels:

35 36 37 38