Earlier last night, PCCW contacted me in regards to my cellphone contract renewal. I had been given some thought in the past month or so as to whether I should stick with them or to find some other cellphone service provider who has a more comprehensive call + mobile data packed deal.
I have been trying those 3’s pay as you go rechargeable SIM cards for a little over a month and their 3G coverage seems to be inline with PCCW’s from where I have been accessing their service. 3.5G coverage was a little less than PCCW’s but not something with much noticeable difference other than the phones service indicator which indicates otherwise. The nicest “feature” of a pay as you go rechargeable service is that one would never have the service charges gotten out of hand unless one charges it with over something like a thousand dollars at a time, I suppose. My data usage with a very moderate and careful use was about a coupon pricing of around $170 at a rate of $0.02 each KB, which works out to be about 8MB. However, for strap free web browsing, one would really need several folds of that in order to be home PC like free. Yet the $488 per month quasi unlimited use package that all suedo conspired suppliers seem to have is simply too costly for me. Besides, one time I have noticed by loading just one single average web page with mostly text alone came to be over 2MB in data transfer, the KB packet tariff unit is simply ridiculously costly. While the pay as you go method is a save way to ensure no over indulgence, it isn’t exactly ideal despite that fact that 3 allows number portability to be transfered to their rechargeable plans.
2 days ago, after scrutinizing PCCW’s website, I called PCCW to inquire about any special (hidden) deal on mobile data usage packages in accordance to 3’s current “free iPhone” plans which is in mobile data with audio call orient but to no avail. Last night, the PCCW saleslady showed me a “special Kung-Pau manager-approved ultimate insider Oracle chosen one for company staff only” plan. I didn’t care of the bloated status, it just sounded like more inline to what I was hoping for so I took the contract renewal. A little later, I have just found “The Plan” to be newly listed on their website as such, which isn’t surprising but as they say, read the fine prints (you know, the rules that they have neglected to mention)…
- Waiver of monthly charge of moov on mobile/ M.HD pass during the first 2 months. Starting from the 3rd month, customer has to pay the standard monthly charge ($48)
- Mobile data service additional charge is $10/10MB, usage is rounded up to the nearest 10MB, maximum charge is $298 per month
- Mobile data service does not include downloading or uploading files, or any other kinds of data access, from a computer using a mobile handset or SIM embedded data module as a modem, in which case $0.08/KB will be charged
Since it is so new, I am sure the out calling saleslady hadn’t had time to learn the fine prints herself as most of these callers work for an out sourced calling agent rather than the service provider themselves. Getting back to those fine prints, the mobile data access is actually more like their special $18/30MB web viewing package where one must go through their PCCW website portal to access other website only with this, one is not required to go through the portal (I was explicitly ensured as such). The problem is, while I can’t be sure that I would not be downloading anything, I am sure I would be uploading photos on the way! The $0.08/KB premium is what I have been trying to avoid all along. The only solution now would be to keep my $48/month 3MB $0.01/KB thereafter mobile data package just to make sure it would not be 8 times as much.
This whole deal doesn’t sound as bad as it sounded semi-good either, actually. I have been paying over $120 per month with just 3MB mobile data allowance with sometimes over $150 in the odd months plus 3’s rechargeable cards anyway. So adding the $48 back to the new $98+12 plan but with 60MB+3MB data is in fact a bit more usage allowance than I could hope for 2 days ago with any service provider without needed to pay at least another 2 to 3 hundred HKD. I am sure the mobile data package pricing would drop soon so I can modify that along the way.
WhaUSay?!