Mtn 3.5g Data Service: How Good?

Has anyone tried Glo 3G  Plus?

they suck? wht they suck? 
lemme guess. . .  donkey ballz 
eewwwwwwwwz

yay one more "valued subscriber" off the starcomms network. . . more unlimited bandwidth for me to play around wit. at this rate i should be hitting 300 kb/s unlimitedly, this week 

starcomms rocks (hit your head for wall, tht's how much i care) 

 

careful, 500kbp/s is not the same as 500kbps which is probably what you mean. mind you, im not disputing your claims but i find it a bit hard to swallow on my experience and that of freinds and family members. if my 44kbps wasnt consistent across kaduna, abuja and lagos as i travel id assume the problem is confined to kaduna alone, or if i used only one modem i'd attribute it to some fault in the modem. sadly that is not the case.

in any case, i fail to see how you can get 500kbps since at connection the modem registers the link speed at 480kbps. noenetheless im not saying you are lying perhaps your situation is unique since obviously im not the only one having this problem.

oh, and i do get full bars considering i live very close to a mast (in kaduna) as i pointed out earlier. lets just hope MTN sorts this all out and give us as good as our money.

im glad to see Etisalat will soon flag off their services. given that they have perhaps the fastest 3.75G in the middle east maybe they will give MTN a run for their money.

Etisalat has lots of cash and technical expertise, besides.

mtn's advertised speed is 3.2 megabits per second with a dropdown consistence of 800kilobits per second. this means, using your measurements, 400kiloBytes per second and 100kilobytes per second respectively. since none of us here is getting anything near those speeds then clearly the advertised speed is bogus. that has been the basis of my argument all the while.

now in my first post i said i was getting 44kilobits a second (5.5kilobytes) which is still far from broadband and i was not using any download accelerator. even if i was getting what the others claim to be getting we are still being shortchanged what ever measurement you use.

now you mentioned that available download speed from the server differes from network download capability. well, that may be so but i beg to differ on one ground: HTTP GET and FTP are not Torrent where speed downgrades based on the ratio between seeders and leechers or the activity of the tracker. the server side pipeline is bigger at that end than my side of the pipes where my connection by default is 8 per server and since most HTTP servers allow indidvidual maximum connections of 128 im still underutilized. now if the server in question suffers a swarm (massive coonections from multiple downloads) then of course speed may degrade. but im still getting 44kbps irrespective of the server i connect to whether im downloading or not.

the key is the bandwidth we all are on. the gateway is slower than what the network is capable of. on the USB modem the link speed is 7.2mbits/sec (900 kilobytes) but the realworld speed hovers between 120kbps (for some) and 44kbps (for me and others). clearly you can see the problem there.

on Etisalat in Dubai you get 1.2mbits/sec on average and 700kbps on bad days from a link of the same 7.2mbits/sec.

that says something.

i dont use speedtest.net nor do i use a 'bandwidth monitor' (whatever that is). i use a more reliable packet sniffer in combination with NetStumbler to monitor my net activities and they bear out my slow 44kbps.

please keep in mind that all this while im narrating my own experience, it will be different for others. but lets rule out the following;

1. distance from mast
2. lack of 3G coverage
3. faulty modem
4. reverting to GPRS
5. faulty OS

if the checklist above is eliminated, then clearly the problem stems ffrom MTN somewhere down the backbone.


@Flyuche

permit me to make a correction in my earlier post.

480kbps is the link speed one gets with the phone modem while 7.2mbps is the connection one gets with the USB modem. i do not know which modem you use so pardon me for hastily assuming you use the phone type.

@samir101ng

well, since you and i have no choice we may as well embrace the inevitable, do our patriotic bid and just accept fate as it is. lets give them the benefit of doubt and say they are just starting. perhaps overtime they may iron out the kinks although i seriously dout that. why? because after seven years of operating in Nigeria MTN's core service (phone call) is still utter rubbish. this morning i had 18naira and i couldnt send a text.

what bothers me is the 3gig limit which is a very good pointer to the limit MTN has on bandwidth. if you do have true broadband, why impose such a severe restrictive policy? naija is a nation of downloaders. wallahi ive seen creeps here in cafes downloading three episodes of prison break and a movie torrent on a speed of 0.6kbp/s. their patience must be infinite.

imagine what they'd do with broadband. they'll download hollywood and the entire music industry. (maybe ive just made MTN's argument  )

with true broadband you can download a whopping 1gig in less than 30minutes. with MTN in that duration all you get is like 100mb, your days' quota.

i heard Glo has raised its cap to 5gigs. thats fair. but with broadband, unlimited access is the killer app because all that speed just doesnt make sense for roughly 100mb a day.

my wifi this mornin was going on 69.5kiloBYTES per second, thats 556kilobits per second. though its web accelerated broadband, its not 3G which is supposedly faster. my biggest issue with the wifi is that it breaks downloads on download accelerators and oftens drops connection for no apparent reason.

at least MTN is better than  them visafone them and *ahem* starcomms.

A friend of mine just called me and said MTN has offered an unlimited download access on the 3.5G services at 15k/month subscription. i've been interested in getting it but that 3g limit has been a pain in the neck and many people fell to this.

Can anyone here confirm this new update?

so much has been said about MTN 3.5G data service,what about glo 3G plus data service,nobody made reference to it,just like some are comparing MTN with starcomms etc ,so how effective is it  ? (glo data service)

Sho, ma guy forget glo 3gplus. Glo have always tried to be the first when deploying any new technology as can be seen by their deployment of the first full fibre optic network in the country while other telecomm providers where using microwave technology. They where the firts also to bring mms and gprs browsing but mtn has now passed them in its use. Glo engineers suck at securing this advanced network which is why MTN always beats glo at successfully testing and deploying any new technology. Glo's 3gplus has poor network coverage and the service is not available at minimum acceptable standards of quality. So, bros   forget glo for now.

glo seems to have technology and cash at their disposal, but their marketing and utilisation of this technology to gain customer  satisfaction is poor. a simple thing as gprs activation is an issue for them. if they have deployed massively fibre optic cables, why are their tariffs not coming down? mtn makes everything simple.

@samir101ng

welcome. but a word of caution: networks that make a big fanfare always turn out to disappoint. point proved with Glo, Mtel and Starcomms.

i only hope Etisalat doesnt go that route, though given their record in the UAE i have high hopes. i bet you their 3.75G will be cheaper (and hopefully better) than MTN's.

yes ive reserved a Silver number modelled after my already-special MTN number. cost is 5k.

you know, Etisalat's direct competitor is actually Zain. they've been slugging it out in the middle east (where they have arguably amomng the best telephony system in the world).

MTN will soon pack its bag.

Yellow is the color of cowardice.

@Flyuche

sometimes the best technology does not translate into efficiency and effectiveness. the key is proper utilization and not just deployment for deployment's sake. Glo lacks proper planning while MTN spends more money in adverts than in upgrades.

may God save us.

Etisalat is the operating partner of Mubadala. Mubadala acquired a 15 year renewable Unified Access Service License for $400 million which uniquely contains license for 3G spectrum as well. The UASL, similar to the one the government ordered the NCC to grant to NigComSat, embodies mobile, fixed and data services. in the case of Mubadala, it includes the right to install and operate an international gateway.

Since Etisalat is operating on Mubadala's UASL, your argument then is erroneous.

do you really think such a high powered company that came into Nigeria during Obasanjo's time (infact the UASL is a diplomatic courtesy) since before the 3G auction wont pursue a 3G license given their huge investment in the 3G spectrum/technology in the middle east and other Afrcican countries they operate?

in any case the following is a snippet from the Etisalat website:

"Etisalat provides all types of telecom services in addition to cable TV service. Etisalat is currently moving to a 3G network and NGN concept in its infrastructure."




Etisalat is the operating partner of Mubadala. Mubadala acquired a 15 year renewable Unified Access Service License for $400 million which uniquely contains license for 3G spectrum as well. The UASL, similar to the one the government ordered the NCC to grant to NigComSat, embodies mobile, fixed and data services. in the case of Mubadala, it includes the right to install and operate an international gateway.

Since Etisalat is operating on Mubadala's UASL, your argument then is erroneous.

do you really think such a high powered company that came into Nigeria during Obasanjo's time (infact the UASL is a diplomatic courtesy) since before the 3G auction wont pursue a 3G license given their huge investment in the 3G spectrum/technology in the middle east and other Afrcican countries they operate?

in any case the following is a snippet from the Etisalat website:

"Etisalat provides all types of telecom services in addition to cable TV service. Etisalat is currently moving to a 3G network and NGN concept in its infrastructure."




Etisalat is the operating partner of Mubadala. Mubadala acquired a 15 year renewable Unified Access Service License for $400 million which uniquely contains license for 3G spectrum as well. The UASL, similar to the one the government ordered the NCC to grant to NigComSat, embodies mobile, fixed and data services. in the case of Mubadala, it includes the right to install and operate an international gateway.

Since Etisalat is operating on Mubadala's UASL, your argument then is erroneous.

do you really think such a high powered company that came into Nigeria during Obasanjo's time (infact the UASL is a diplomatic courtesy) since before the 3G auction wont pursue a 3G license given their huge investment in the 3G spectrum/technology in the middle east and other Afrcican countries they operate?

in any case the following is a snippet from the Etisalat website:

"Etisalat provides all types of telecom services in addition to cable TV service. Etisalat is currently moving to a 3G network and NGN concept in its infrastructure."




Etisalat is the operating partner of Mubadala. Mubadala acquired a 15 year renewable Unified Access Service License for $400 million which uniquely contains license for 3G spectrum as well. The UASL, similar to the one the government ordered the NCC to grant to NigComSat, embodies mobile, fixed and data services. in the case of Mubadala, it includes the right to install and operate an international gateway.

Since Etisalat is operating on Mubadala's UASL, your argument then is erroneous.

do you really think such a high powered company that came into Nigeria during Obasanjo's time (infact the UASL is a diplomatic courtesy) since before the 3G auction wont pursue a 3G license given their huge investment in the 3G spectrum/technology in the middle east and other Afrcican countries they operate?

in any case the following is a snippet from the Etisalat website:

"Etisalat provides all types of telecom services in addition to cable TV service. Etisalat is currently moving to a 3G network and NGN concept in its infrastructure."




Etisalat is the operating partner of Mubadala. Mubadala acquired a 15 year renewable Unified Access Service License for $400 million which uniquely contains license for 3G spectrum as well. The UASL, similar to the one the government ordered the NCC to grant to NigComSat, embodies mobile, fixed and data services. in the case of Mubadala, it includes the right to install and operate an international gateway.

Since Etisalat is operating on Mubadala's UASL, your argument then is erroneous.

do you really think such a high powered company that came into Nigeria during Obasanjo's time (infact the UASL is a diplomatic courtesy) since before the 3G auction wont pursue a 3G license given their huge investment in the 3G spectrum/technology in the middle east and other Afrcican countries they operate?

in any case the following is a snippet from the Etisalat website:

"Etisalat provides all types of telecom services in addition to cable TV service. Etisalat is currently moving to a 3G network and NGN concept in its infrastructure."




Etisalat is the operating partner of Mubadala. Mubadala acquired a 15 year renewable Unified Access Service License for $400 million which uniquely contains license for 3G spectrum as well. The UASL, similar to the one the government ordered the NCC to grant to NigComSat, embodies mobile, fixed and data services. in the case of Mubadala, it includes the right to install and operate an international gateway.

Since Etisalat is operating on Mubadala's UASL, your argument then is erroneous.

do you really think such a high powered company that came into Nigeria during Obasanjo's time (infact the UASL is a diplomatic courtesy) since before the 3G auction wont pursue a 3G license given their huge investment in the 3G spectrum/technology in the middle east and other Afrcican countries they operate?

in any case the following is a snippet from the Etisalat website:

"Etisalat provides all types of telecom services in addition to cable TV service. Etisalat is currently moving to a 3G network and NGN concept in its infrastructure."

etisalat(dot)careersnigeria(dot)com

@jdoss

you may also be right since the terms of the UASL did not specifically mention 3G in the license, only data services. however in 2006 the NCC made it apparent that the unification incorporates data service in the spectrum. mind you, mtn, glo etc bought their licenses outside of the UASL framework and indeed the UASL was designed to end the exclusivity of the three incumbent operators in terms of fixed and mobile services outside the GSM platform.

actually the true pioneer of 3G in nigeria is starcomms except theirs is CDMA and not GSM.

there are a number of articles that suggest Etisalat has 3G bundled into its unique license and i tend to believe that claim. it makes commercial sense since all services on the wireless platform are supposed to be fully incorporated into the UASL.

one can't expect the NCC to grant an international gateway license alongside a mobile data service license to Mubadala/etisalat and expect the operator to deploy old technology (gprs and EDGE).

in any case, i doubt that Etisalat will be moving its infrastructure to the 3G platform without having already secured a license. the way i understand it is that the license given Mubadala does away with piecemeal service roll out and subsequent license acquisition. what it does supposedly is to compact everything into one license, hence UNIFIED.

what ever the case, even if they dont have the license, its only a matter of time. they cant be competitive on any other ground.

maybe someone who knows best can clear the air.

cheers.

@ Ex Inferis

That your double post, pass double post. No be you dey tell seun make him charge N500 per post.  Lol
On another note however, its very obvious that there is no international company that can successfully operate in nigeria without being affected by the "nigerian factor". So, Ex let us enjoy the quality service of Etisalat for a while before they are also infected by the naija virus and you start getting dropped calls. The buzz was just like when glo came out. New colours, new numbers, mms and mobile internet at fast speeds. But after a few years of hardknocks by the naija community, they don shine their eyes.

hmm. . . . ive been using dis mtn free thingy 4 about 4 months on my 3.5G phone and  my gprs packet data shows 33GB recieved. if i were to pay for this i wld have gone bankrupt ;d

@hancock, which phone/handset is that?