This post is a follow up to the previous post published in January: Back to basics: Character count and document size. In the post I talked about the basics of how data size is determined. If you didn’t read it then that would be an appropriate place to head.
This is where some people like to say “makosa imefanyika”, (injustice has been committed). Its a valid argument to actually say injustice has been committed.
GSM modems are one of the most common means of internet access to the modern day worker in their homes. The fall in the internet data prices and the gadgets used to access it has gone down in the last couple of years. In addition to that, the advent of android powered mobile phones has seen the mobile service providers introduce various data products. When I talk about data prices going down, its still not a fair reflection of the global prices as kenyans still have to pay way higher compared to other countries and at a much slower internet speeds despite the landing of the much hyped landing of fiber optic cable(old story).
Am gonna prove that the various service providers are stealing from their clients by capitalising on their ignorance of data size. However a quick recap here on how data size is calculated.
1GB = 1024 MB
Now say you purchase 1 GB of data for Kshs 1000. It means that you are buying 1 MB for Ksh1. From that 1GB you don’t get 1024MB but 1000MB. That means you are being cheated off your 24MBs. With that amount of data, you can be able to read emails and chat online for over an hour. Its not a huge figure until you calculate the amount of data we all lose collectively.
According to a report released by CCK, Kenya’s internet subscribers have been pegged at 11.6 million. This report is partially captured in this post. Assuming that each of the users only gets their data by purchasing 1GB data bundles from the leading mobile service providers, how much data are they losing enmasse.
11.6 million X 24 MBs = 278 Million MBs!!!
If we go on and assume that these users purchase these 1GB bundles every month and still keeping in mind that from this calculation every 1MB is worth 1Kshs then all Telcos combined are stealing from the consumers 278 million kenya shillings every month!
Does this sound like a place where the consumer welfare associations need to come in? To me it sounds pretty much like so. There may not be lawsuits and stuff but as consumers we expect our data providers to match every shilling we pay for a shilling’s worth of service if not more.