We all here at the office have all but given up on Zain mobile internet. We are not particularly excited about Zain’s policy of limiting 3G access to postpaid subscribers only.
We know that many mobile internet users feel the same way too. Anyway, we haven’t touched Zain mobile internet in months, but that shouldn’t stop us from revisiting this subject, and ask current Zain mobile internet users whether or not Zain has reviewed that policy.
We know that Zain has at least one pocket-friendly package that has helped them keep some customers on their mobile internet plans inspite of their restricted 3G policy. But some of us are suckers for speed. Our jobs demand some minimum level of speed. And there was no way on earth that we were going to sign a contract just for that when alternatives were available. So, we dumped Zain mobile internet months ago. But that’s us.
One of the attractions of Zain’s pocket-friendly plan (we are thinking Zain Lite now, which costs N1,000 monthly) is that it is just convenient if all you need is something to use for email and light browsing on your phone. At the moment, only one other operator, Etisalat, offers a matching plan.
The official Zain Mobile Internet page gives the general impression that the restriction on 3G does not exist.
If you are on Zain prepaid, do you have access to 3G yet or are you still restricted to GPRS and EDGE? You tell us.
This post was written by
Mister Mobility – who has written 922 posts on Mobility blog.
Founder, Mobility blog, serial lifestyle entrepreneur, speaker, & writer. Charming, passionate, tenacious & non-conformist. Will dance! Follow him on Twitter @Mister_Mobility.
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January 2nd, 2010 at 8:26 am Browsing with
Yes, I think the restriction is still there. Never detected 3G (with Zain, that is) on my phone. Just EDGE.
Now, I wonder what rational / logical analyses led them to taking that decision.
I thought the essence of a contract package is primarily to make sure you never ‘run out’ of calling/smsing credit? It is my prerogative. My convenience. Why restrict a service on the basis of my exercising an option? STRANGE!
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January 2nd, 2010 at 9:14 am Browsing with
eyebeekay,
as an aside, contrary to what is the norm in other parts of the world, subscribers actually run out of voice/sms airtime with Naija contract packages o!
unbelievable? i was shocked too the first time a friend told me how her network cut her off on a contract package. she had to go sign a paper to stay on and be billed for the extra. hiss. contract in Naija? not me!
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January 2nd, 2010 at 9:25 am Browsing with
I actually get zain 3G in my crib here. I actually bought a special sim 4 dt. Note:just for browsing purpose. One can neither text with it nor call but i did the very day i bought it using video call.
I will appreciate it if dey can make all sim be on 3G network
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January 2nd, 2010 at 9:39 am Browsing with
A Zain rep told us last year about those data-only SIMs, assuring us of 3G coverage if we got one. Well, we did buy one for use at the office but we never got 3G access with it.
Hopefully, our case was an exception.
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January 2nd, 2010 at 7:49 pm Browsing with
@computer
what does your zain connection peak at??
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January 2nd, 2010 at 7:52 pm Browsing with
whenever i do a network search around my home zain pops up as a 3G network. When i subscribe to a data package all i get is EDGE that is slower than the most mediocre network like Zoom (1x) et al.
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January 2nd, 2010 at 8:24 pm Browsing with
Wish i could post my zain 3.5G screenshot here.
Sorry to say, have been using mtn on pc and mobile these days. I used zain on mobile and pc around november.
Would try probably tomorrow to use it. Guess u talking about my download speed huh?@toby
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January 3rd, 2010 at 1:51 am Browsing with
@admin, i think your 3G has to do with area. Not all areas get 3G signal in nigeria here. Most are EDGE or GPRS and i believe you know this.
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January 3rd, 2010 at 2:03 am Browsing with
@computer: We figured as much after we failed to get a 3G signal on the data-only SIM. It was just bad taste that the zain guys assured us of 3G coverage at our location before we picked the SIM. Anyway, we chalked up the expenses as a minor donation to the cause of mobility in Nigeria
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January 3rd, 2010 at 9:57 am Browsing with
Yeah, thats a donation!
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January 3rd, 2010 at 10:14 pm Browsing with
@computer
I’m talking about download speeds.
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January 9th, 2010 at 3:35 pm Browsing with
I got 120KB/S early this morning.
On mobile not pc
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January 12th, 2010 at 11:43 am Browsing with
Zain 3G mobile internet is just grand deception in my own experience, in my one month of using it, I can describe it as a waste of time and FUNDS. if you are thinking of buying it?? think Otherwise!!!
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January 12th, 2010 at 7:06 pm Browsing with
Pls don’t say that again. There is big difference between the edge/gprs line and the 3G line. I got different download speed from each.
Since the day i know what is 3G, i’ve stopped browsing with edge lines and that more reason my network mode is always on UMTS and never DUAL MODE. guess you know the function of dualmode and umts?.
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January 22nd, 2010 at 3:25 pm Browsing with
zain mobile internet, sir we are under going problem. after loading, a zain five thousand naira card is giving me ERROR 619: A CONNECTION TO THE REMOTE COMPUTER COULD NOT BE ESTABLISHED, SO THE PORT USED FOR THIS CONNECTION WAS CLOSED. Sir, we do not kno2 what to do
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January 22nd, 2010 at 8:02 pm Browsing with
MD UMANA,
It sounds like your Zain SIM has not been provisioned for internet access. You need to go to a Zain store to request activation.
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January 22nd, 2010 at 10:51 pm Browsing with
MD UMANA,
You can also activate your line for zain internet by simply inserting your sim into a hand set, (preferbly an orginal nokia phone) then visit the address below, enter your number and follow the instructions for internet provision.
dmc.ng.zain.com/
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July 31st, 2010 at 1:30 pm Browsing with
presently i think only people on zain lite are using their phones to browse, else it aint worth it cos there is no 3G for prepaid costumers, so wats the use of the network, they should just give their customers to other networks(etisalat for instance) and forget about existing in nigeria. Zain should grow up…
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September 1st, 2010 at 11:06 pm Browsing with
in fact i blam my self using zain to browse to slow even on my phone window mobile to much slow have never find my phone in 3g service only e
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September 18th, 2010 at 12:54 am Browsing with
Zain internet is the most useless and then most unreliable connection I have ever used in Nigeria….We are just being taken for a fool here…we pay high fee for their service and yet we have no value for our money.
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September 18th, 2010 at 7:25 am Browsing with
Michael, i agree with you on Zain internet. Crappy.
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