MTN has added unlimited data options to its data bundle plans — but the new unlimited option comes with some constraints in order to have fair usage among all users. MTN Uganda joins the unlimited data party with three data plans, and check out our full user experience review here.
#MTN has introduced Unlimited Internet packages today. #BeUnlimited #MTN4G@KarimMakumbi @wimMTNUG @stkirenga @MazzoMawanvu @SusanKayemba pic.twitter.com/GAZzVnvgxw
— MTN Uganda (@mtnug) June 5, 2017
Those who want to try out the telecom giant’s unlimited data offer will have to choose among; MTN Unlimited Night, MTN Unlimited Basic and MTN Unlimited Premium plans all of which are capped to 2 Mbps. This means that every unlimited data user on the MTN network will use speeds between 0 and 2 Mbps at the start of every day for Basic and Premium users, and between midnight and 6 AM for the MTN Unlimited Night subscribers.
Here is where things get interesting. If you opt for the MTN Unlimited Night data plan, you will be throttled down to 265 kbps when you exceed 3 GB but you will be restored back to the original 2 Mbps speeds the following night at mid night. Lost? Worry not, just read ahead.
| Package | Availability | Price (UGX) | Data Cap (GB) | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MTN Unlimited Basic | All day, all night | 179,000 | 2Mbps for 1 GB per day, after 1 GB speed throttled to 256kbps GB till 6AM. | 30 Days |
| MTN Unlimited Premium | All day, all night | 330,000 | 2Mbps for 3 GB per day, after 3 GB speeds throttled to 256kbps till 6AM | 30 Days |
| MTN Unlimited Night | Midnight – 6am | 99,000 | 2Mbps for 3 GB per day, after 3 GB speeds throttled to 256kbps till 6AM. | 30 Days |
It’s and daily cap thing for heavy users
The Basic and Premium unlimited data plans will also start at speeds not exceeding 2 Mbps per day before you are throttled down to 256 kbps when you use more than 1GB for Basic and 3GB for Premium as shown in the above table. At 6AM the following day you will go back to using 2 Mbps until you hit your cap. This means in a month, heavy data users will use a minimum of 30 GB and 90 GB for Basic and Premium bundles respectively.
When compared to other carriers like Smile Communications who offer unlimited data bundles, Smile Premium users start off with 6 Mbps speeds and will only be throttled when they exceed 60 GB. When a Smile user further exceeds 100 GB the they will be throttled to 256 kbps during the subscription period. Perhaps MTN’s new unlimited plans can be compared to Smile’s UnlimitedEssential plan which starts off at speeds of 2Mbps and gets capped down to 256 Kbps if one uses more than 30GB, but unlike Smile where this is monthly, MTN unlimited data users will go back to their normal 2Mbps speeds at 6AM the following day until their subscription expires. You can check our Smile’s Premium data offering below for a quick comparison.
| Original Data Cap | Original Speed Cap | New Data Cap | New Speed Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1MB <40GB | Up to 6Mbps | 0 <60GB | Up to 6Mbps |
| >40GB <200GB | Up to 4Mbps | >60GB <100GB | Up to 4Mbps |
| >200GB | Up to 2Mbps | >100GB | Up to 0.256 Mbps |
Most carriers in Uganda reserve the right to take reasonable steps to prevent improper or excessive usage of their networks and that is why we cannot have true unlimited internet in Uganda. They may amongst other things, limit throughput, and prevent or limit service through specific ports or communication protocols. They also has the right to protect the integrity of their networks.
How to Activate MTN Unlimited bundles
All MTN’s unlimited plans are available to customers starting today. To activate this over see twit below.
Here is how you can activate #MTN4G #BeUnlimited Internet. pic.twitter.com/rhGPdJnp9b
— MTN Uganda (@mtnug) June 5, 2017
