iPad Tethering on Vodacom

Update:
As of iOS 7 , Personal Hotspot has been enabled by default on MTN and Vodacom.
I can't say for sure if it on Cell C or Telkom Mobile , but it's probably also enabled.

There's been a fair struggle with Vodacom users relative to tethering their New iPad's.
It just doesn't seem to be there no matter how many times you try different settings or reboot the tablet. Why?

Personal Hotspot, the missing setting

The Truth About Tethering ... on Vodacom.

When the iPhone 4 was released in South Africa in 2010 it came with a feature called "Personal Hotspot" , previously on the iPhone 3G and 3GS it was known as "Tethering" where you could share your iPhone's data connection to your computer through a connected USB cable or through Bluetooth or both.
With the iPhone 4 though , you could share the data connection with WIFI as well and this works on Vodacom right now, there may be an issue for some users with the iPhone 4S but I'll come to that later. The iPad( ofcourse only the 3G/Cellular models ) has never had Tethering or Personal Hotspot until the release of the "New iPad", only the New iPad , not iPad 2.  For Tethering or Personal Hotspot to function at all, you first need the correct Access Point Name(APN) to be entered into some settings on the device.

In some countries there is a charge for using Tethering on a mobile device like an iPhone or iPad, lucky for us Vodacom and other ISP's in South Africa don't charge for it and I don't see why they should since using one data connection for multiple devices consumes more data resulting in the need for more data.

Using Vodacom that APN would be "iphone.vodacom.za" . However , this does not work for the New iPad. The reason it's not functioning is actually not a fault by Vodacom, Apple is restricting the iphone.vodacom.za APN and Vodacom needs Apple's blessing in order for their subscribers to use Personal Hotspot on the New iPad regardless if the feature works on the iPhone. Vodacom is currently in negotiations with Apple on a high level to bring Personal Hotspot  to the New iPad on Vodacom and from what I heard from it's going well , we should see the feature enabled on New iPads on Vodacom later on , they couldn't give me an ETA on when this will happen.

For some users the problem with Personal Hotspot on the New iPad is also effecting the iPhone 4S.
Confusing isn't but there you go , works on iPhone 4 but not 4S . I am not certain but this may be an iOS 5/6 difference for the iPhone 4S.

If you do want to use this feature on the New iPad, using 8ta or Cell C works quite fine, might need to reboot your device after editing the APN but it sure does work. I can't say if it works on MTN or Virgin Mobile but i'm guessing it does. The APN for 8ta and Cell C is "internet" , for Virgin Mobile it would be vdata, probably need to chop that Virgin Mobile SIM to fit.

iPhone 4 MTN vs Vodacom

As you may be aware, the iPhone 4 has finally come to our dorpies in good
ol' SA and was launched by MTN and Vodacom with Midnight Launch Things.
From what I've read MTN had a spectacular show compared to Vodacom's dismal approach.

This blog at Zahira.co.za describes how MTN targeted specific people and
how well they managed their event relative to technology

Cape Town Girl also describes how holograms were present at MTN's launch
and the type of crowd who were invited , like popular tech bloggers such as Marc Forrest
and everyone could try out the phone and have a decent relative conversation with each other
because everyone was in the same mindset. What I found to be really cool was how they threw
in the #iYoba hashtag, now that's thought.

I have hardly seen anything blogged about Vodacom's launch but my impression was that they
just had an open party not much planning and most of the show was chilling until 12am.

I wasn't at any of the events sadly, wish I was though.

Now everyone's been blogging, micro blogging and chatting about the prices..
It looks like MTN K.O'd Vodacom with tags of:

R379(150MB data bundle) , R429 (300MB data bundle) for the 16GB iPhone with R200 "Airtime" per month.
R429 (150MB data bundle) , R479 (300MB data bundle) for the 32GB model with R200 "Airtime" per month.



Each package has the once off fee of R209
for the SIM and Connection story
and the iPhone is free, with terms and conditions ofcourse.
MTN iPhone deals


Initially Vodacom only had one offer on the table(and strangely has been selling out)

R925 per month for the 16GB , you get the iPhone for free on this high end package but
it is seriously high end.
It includes:
500 "Minutes"
250MB Data
100 SMS's
That is the iPhone 4 16GB on the Talk 500 package, Terms and conditions apply.
Vodacom iPhone 4 Deals

Update:
Vodacom now have another deal for the 32GB iPhone 4:
R364 per month on the Business Call  package
click here




If you're not aware there's a difference between "Airtime" and "Minutes".
Some packages offer you 200 Minutes whether it is off-peak only or anytime.
Now Airtime is not just for calling and spending minutes talking, Airtime is charged at a
specific rate which could change depending on peak or off-peak time.

The beauty of Airtime is that once your data runs out you don't immediately get additional
charges on your monthly bill but instead are billed from the included Airtime,
same goes for SMS.
Once you've depleted your included SMS bundle it will be deducted off the included Airtime.
So if you play your cards right you can decide to be an SMSer a Surfer or a Caller in priority.
Pretty cool right?

Anyway as of tonight Vodacom has matched MTN's offers
albeit with subtle differences in Data and Airtime.

R379 per month gets you:
R275 minutes of Airtime, not minutes,
110MB data
absolutely no bundled SMS's

That's the iPhone 16GB free on the Top Up 275s Package, terms and conditions apply.
At the moment the Vodacom site doesn't state whether you get 275 Minutes or R275 Airtime.
But consider "Talk" packages are the one's that come with Minutes and "Top Up"
packages are the one's with Airtime.




Now I've been phoning around and around about the iPhone 4 at various stores.
You can purchase the iPhone 4 in cash without a contract if you so wish.
from Vodacom and MTN you can pick it up from around R8200 - R10000 for the 16GB.
I say R10000 because when I phoned the Vodashop in Sandton City they had no idea how
much it costs and just hit a ballpark for 10k , mean while not too far away at the
Mandela Square the clued up lady who answered my phone call distinctly stated R8200 for 16GB

Other places like CaCell have it for +R10000 , but should drop soon as their current
prices are from the importing they've been doing.

Now the best I've seen for a cash deal is from Digicape:
R7219 for the 16GB , not on their site at present.

One insanely bizarre and annoying thing that's been happening is freakin' pre-ordering or
getting on a waiting list and still not getting anything because stock being sold out.
WTF

I signed up on that darn Vodacom pre order they had a few months back as soon as it appeared
and they sent me and alot of people an SMS saying, oops too bad but it was sold out any way.
What?? I mean we sign up for these things for more info and keep up to date but you still hear
about everything in blogs and tweets and not one damn peep from Vodacom's email or SMS systems.
Nee boet. I phoned Digicape in Sandton Yesterday Morning and registered on their site as well ages ago but they still went and sold out todays stock! Why Patricia Why!!??

My last interesting thing left I have to tell you is something I picked up today from MTN.
Vodacom isn't going to do this at this stage by the way.
On MTN , as you know , you can get the iPhone 4 16GB free for R379 per month.
Now , throw in R3700 and you can reduce your subscription to R200 per month.
I think it's R200 , it could be R250 or so , I can't remember what the MTN man said right now.
But that's another KO(ish) punch from MTN into Vodacoms already Blue face.

I can show some hectic tables and graphs on how much value this all works out for you per month
and per 24 months but i'm sure you can do the math.

Thanks for reading.
Peace.

on a side note, you don't actually get the phone free with those R379 deals.
The iPhone is being financed into the specific package over the 24 months.
That actually means you pay for the airtime , lets say on Vodacom, R275 x 24 = R6600 and then R104 x 24 = R2496 for the phone . hmmmm....