Data costs can be expensive at times. 3G, LTE and 4G enabled
mobile phones and tablets can easily update applications in the
background. This can quickly cost you
more money.
Here are 9 tips to help you manage your smartphone bill:
·
Know your data allowance and / or balance
·
Track your data usage constantly (set data
limits on your device)
·
Request a call limit facility if you are a
post-paid user
·
Understand how international roaming works and
the cost implications
·
Rather use Wi-Fi hot spots
·
Switch your data usage portal off if you don’t
need to use data
·
Learn the difference between a megabyte (MB) and
a gigabyte (GB)
·
Understand the difference between Wi-Fi usage
and data usage
·
Limit your background data
3 things that use up a lot of data:
·
Streaming or downloading music
·
Streaming or downloading movies
·
Playing games online
Apps such as YouTube, Netflix, Spotify and Dropbox consume a
lot of data. So do smartphone apps such as Facebook or Twitter.
Background syncing also uses data.
Did you know that manual updates can save you a lot of data
and battery life?
The difference between a Kilobyte (KB), Megabyte (MB) and
Gigabyte (GB)
1024 bytes = 1 kilobyte.
1024 kilobytes = 1 Megabyte.
1024 Megabytes = 1 Gigabyte.
1024 Gigabytes = 1 Terabyte.
1024 Terabytes = 1 Petabyte.
Newer models of phones come with a connection booster that
uses Wi-Fi and mobile data together to give you the fastest speed. To keep your
data usage down, consider switching this feature off.
So what happens if you get an unexpected huge bill?
1.
First check that anyone who uses your smartphone
is not responsible for the disputed charges.
2.
If not, carefully highlight the charges you are
disputing and provide reasons stating why.
3.
Put the complaint in writing and attach a copy
of your bill.
If you have a complaint about your network provider you can
lodge it with ICASA.
You need to lodge the complaint with your service provider
first. Your service provider needs to give you a reference number. They need to
resolve the complaint within 14 working days. If they don’t or you are not
satisfied with the outcome you can forward your complaint and outcome to ICASA.
ICASA regularly resolves disputes between industry players
and consumers.
To lodge a complaint with ICASA online visit www.icasa.org.za
You can also email it to: consumer@icasa.org.za or call
011-566-3000
Find them on Twitter at @ICASA_org
You can also post it to them or hand it in at your nearest
office.
Their head office is at Pinmill Farm, 164 Katherine Street,
Sandton.
Their Durban office is 15th Floor, Victoria Main
Building, 71 Margaret Mncadi Avenue (Ex-Victoria Embankment Street), Esplanade,
Durban.
Your complaint needs to be in writing.
Do not stop paying your monthly contract and the service
provider should not stop your service whilst your dispute is being resolved.
These tips are brought to you courtesy of ICASA which is
supporting the Wireless World Research Forum (WWRF) in hosting the 5th
Annual 5G Huddle which is running alongside WWRF40 from 30 May – 1 June 2018 in
Durban, South Africa.
 |
| 5G Huddle - Image: Fred Felton |
The conference will focus on the countdown to commercial
rollout of 5G technologies in South Africa. 5G is expected to be rolled out in
South Africa in 2020.
ICASA Councillor Paris Mashile emphasised, ‘’It is our
public service mandate, as a country and regulator, to ensure that we are not
left behind as the world is moving forward and embracing new technologies that
will benefit consumers, business and government, hence our involvement and
participation in these debates and discussions as we look forward to the first
commercial deployment of 5G in 2020.’’
When 5G arrives expect automation of device and machine use,
through the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT).
The main focus area from speakers at the 5G Huddle was the
hope that 5G would bridge the digital divide.
#5GHuddle
Article by Fred Felton | Twitter @fredfelton
