How do I put this?

I do not have statistics for the rest of the world, but I do know that in my experience here in Nigeria, using GPRS/EDGE for almost anything is a painful experience.

In my opinion, the least internet capability of any device that you want to use for web browsing, social networking and/or instant messaging should be 3G. Add 3.5G/HSDPA and that’s even better.

But my experience is just that. Can everyone share their experiences and point out the following:

Have you used GPRS/EDGE exclusively on any device?

What device was that?

Where? Your location.

How stable was it?

How usable in terms of speed?

Would you recommend a GPRS/EDGE only device to someone looking to get online via mobile?

Any other info welcome. The more the details you provide, the better. Thanks all!

The Mobility team was invited to attend the official launch of Etisalat Nigeria’s broadband mobile internet service (branded Easyblaze) at the Lagos Oriental Hotel.

Find below some key information about Easyblaze.

10 Quick Facts about Easyblaze

1. easyblaze is Etisalat’s high speed broadband internet service
2. It operates on a 3.75G HSPA+ technology that can achive top speeds of up to 42Mbps
3. HSPA+ means – High Speed Packet Access
4. HSPA+ is the latest release of the 3G technology versions
5. Etisalat is the only GSM operator in Nigeria to offer 3.75G HSPA+ broadband internet service.
6. easyblaze enables Etisalat subscribers faster internet browising and downloads, video calling, live video streaming, interactive online games, live music streaming online and more.
7. easyblaze is currently accessible in Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Akwa, Nnewi, Warri, Kaduna, Kano, Zaria, Enugu, Onitsha, Aba, and Benin.
8. easyblaze has several data plans including 200MB, 500MB, 1.5GB, Night & Weekend, 3G and 6GB.
9. easyblaze is accessible using 3G enabled devices such as Smartphones, Tablets, USB modems, Routers and MiFis.

There are a number of new features available with this service as follows:

• Auto-renewal: Automatic renewal allows subscribers to purchase any of our data plans, as long as the subscriber has sufficient airtime credit in his account.
• Data Roll-Over: This allows a subscriber to rollover unused MB of the current data plan provided a new data purchase can be made before the end of validity period of the unused or active data plan.
• Product speed cap: Ability to apply cap on the speed per product and PAYG speed cap.

The Huawei U8180 Codename "Gaga" is sleek, and costs only N20,000

Apparently, Etisalat Nigeria is in partnership with Huawei for terminal supply, as a list of Huawei devices were available, including the sexy, budget Android smartphone, the Huawei U8180 “Gaga” phone, and the E5 Mifi device for connecting up to 5 devices via Wifi.

The Mifi also a Huawei product

Etisalat recently acquired the 3G license awarded to Alheri Engineering, and it seems that they have been hard at work setting things up. My Etisalat SIM now delivers 3.5G service wherever there is coverage.

Etisalat’s 3.5G network is not as extensive as their 2G network yet, but I’m hoping that they will be more ambitous in their rollout than the other networks have been.

Then, we can experience better competition in the mobile broadband space.

Both MTN and GloMobile offer 3.5G-based mobile internet services in Nigeria. They both regularly claim to offer the fastest 3.5G service in the country.

Members of our team use both services extensively and here we present a few observations from our use of both of them.

MTN 3.5G delivers a significantly faster browsing experience than Glo 3.5G
With MTN, we observe speeds of over 250 Kb/s regularly, though it can slowdown to almost unusable speeds at certain hours of the day – especially between 9 and 11pm.

On Glo 3.5G, we get between 70 and 150 Kb/s, plus we also observe that there are times it gets unusable too. However, there does not seem to be a fixed period that these downtimes occur. As a result of the slower speeds on Glo, downloads and video streaming are not quite as pleasurable as obtains via MTN.

MTN 3.5G often has issues with secure browsing
By secure browsing, we mean accessing encrypted websites and webpages with the https prefix. Every now and then, such sites simply are inaccessible on MTN internet.

MTN’s error 3180 issues
A problem has cropped up recently while using MTN 3.5G. When attempting an action that requires either a login or a form submission on a WordPress installation, “:3180″ is inserted in the URL string and results in the page not loading.

We are certain that the above are not indicative of all that there is to the two 3.5G mobile services, so if you have experienced any other issues or noticed other merits of either services, do feel free to post them in the comments section below.

A staff member of ours was at Ikeja in Lagos to carry out some business. Because of a new development on ground, he suddenly needed to check up some facts online.

Unfortunately for him, there was no cyber cafe in the vicinity. Well, he had on him a lower mid-range GPRS-enabled feature phone with a regular phone keypad. Thinking it would be a snap to get the required information on his handset, our man launched the browser and slowly typed out a search engine address. It took another few painful minutes for the phone’s low-end browser and his network’s GPRS connection to load the desired page.

Then he typed out his search keywords and hit the “Search” button. Five minutes later, he was still staring at the same page. Six minutes. Seven minutes. Ten minutes. Nada.

Well, he never did get the information he needed.

This incidence reminded us that there is not one factor responsible for a pleasant mobile web experience.

Network Data Capabilities
There is no doubt that if the phone in question had been 3G or HSDPA enabled, the search would have been smoother. The extra speeds available via 3G services would have made some difference, surely.

Browser Capabilities
Another factor is browser capability. Had the browser been a more decent application, surely we can expect better performance.

Text Input
Typing out fairly long strings of text with a regular mobile phone keypad can be painful and frustrating. SMS shorthand won’t help here because your search keywords have to be accurate. A hardware QWERTY keyboard, handwriting recognition or virtual QWERTY keyboard on a touchscreen certainly will help here.

Phone Processing Power
We all know that phones with powerful processors make everything – including loading of webpages – speedier. As such, phones with lower processing power may just lack that extra burst of energy that you may need for those quick searches and forays on the web when you are out and about.

This combination of factors, we believe, are the most vital in getting a good mobile web experience. While we are not expecting that people will need to use these features on their mobiles everyday, perhaps it is not such a bad idea that they think of the odd times that these functionalities may come in essential when thinking of their next mobile phone.

The user interface is another factor that deserves a mention, but that is a discussion for another day.

If you use the internet as a source of information, think about these things:

• Network Data Capabilities
• Browser Capabilities
• Text Imput Mechanism
• Phone Processing Power

Did we leave out anything?

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.

No; we are not being sensational. We have actually held back from writing about this, but for several weeks now, we have been getting better speeds over Glo’s GPRS/EDGE network than MTN’s 3.5G connection delivers – on the average.

Yes; there are times that the MTN 3.5G network wakes up and delivers, but it has been the exception for weeks. Meanwhile Glo GPRS/EDGE delivers between 20 kbps and 60 kbps, in comparison with the sub 10 kbps speeds we more often get on MTN 3.5G at our end here.

Sad; isn’t it? Isn’t it absurd that a network would spend billions of naira to invest in 3.5G infrastructure without developing the backend capacity to deliver 3.5G speeds?

It is obvious that the bandwidth at the disposal of MTN is not up to scratch to meet the demands of subscribers on the network. We are told by an informed source that the Glo-1 submarine cable went live a few weeks back. Perhaps that accounts for the good experience on the Glo network at the moment.

Any subscribers to Glo 3.5G out there who can comment on the kind of speeds they are getting on Glo 3.5G?

Glo announced its free video messaging some months back, but it didn’t quite fly. It looks like they are giving it another try. Here are the contents of an SMS sent out today:

Glo is at it again! Now you can send and receive a video message for FREE.

Experience one of the advantages of 3G on Glo Video Mailbox. It is an experience you have been waiting for. Simply dial 151 as a video call to activate and 154 as a video call to send a video message.

Call 121 or 200 for any assistance.

It is essentially the same announcement made backin October, but will it fly this time?

In 2007, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) issued 3G licences to four operators – MTN, Glo, Zain, and little-known Alheri. Since the issuance of the licenses, the other three operators have deployed and now offer 3G-based services to millions of subscribers across the country.

But not Alheri. Till date, the Dangote-owned company has nothing to show by way of deploying 3G services. However, Technology Times reports that Etisalat, the fourth GSM operator, is in talks with Alheri to buy the dormant 3G license.

If this pulls through, Etisalat will join the league of GSM networks offering 3G services, and the playing field become a little more level. Etisalat Nigeria currently deploys EDGE as a platform for delivering near-3G speeds. However, a 3G license will allow the youngest GSM operator to deploy HSDPA (3.5G) and HSUPA, delivering true broadband speeds to its fast-growing subscriber base.

Source

If you want to subscribe to GloMobile’s prepaid internet bundle plans, you need to be well armed so as to have a pleasant experience with the service. Here are a few vital tips. Miss these and you will have issues.

1. Subscribe to the plan of your choice by sending the required SMS
To subscribe to a bundle plan, text “activate” to 127, and follow all instructions till you are successfully subscribed to the plan of your choice. By subscribing, your line should also be automatically provisioned for GPRS/EDGE/3G/3.5G.

Of course, make sure you have more than the required airtime already loaded on your line.

2. It works on both modem and phone
Regardless of what you are told, the service works on both modems and phones. It will work on your phone. But don’t bother arguing with anyone. Just smile and create a connection setting with the following parametres:

APN: gloflat
Username: flat
Password: flat

No proxies or ports required.

The above settings are what you need to use after activating the bundle plan of your choice. If you use any other APN e.g. Glodirect, you will still be billed 15 kobo per kb from your regular airtime balance.

3. Ensure that you have at least 1 kobo left on your line
The Glo system will keep you off GPRS/EDGE/3G/3.5G if you do not have any airtime left on your line after activation of the plan of your choice. If your balance reads zero after activation, you will not be able to browse.

4. You can also deploy the service using your phone as a modem with your PC
Simply enter the configuration settings published above in your phone’s PC Suite and connect. No proxies. No ports. No tweaks.

Related Articles:

1. Glo Introduces Pre-Paid 3G Packages
2. If it works on modem, it works on phones; stupid!

As a sequel to the articles, Glo Introduces Pre-Paid 3G Packages, and Official configuration settings for the new Glo prepaid internet bundle plans, I gave the new bundle packages and settings a try this morning.

Having purchased N500 airtime and sent the required SMS codes, I was notified that I had successfully subscribed to the Always Day plan. This plan gives the subscriber 50mb data for a period of 24 hours. My subscription notification came in at 7.17 a.m. this morning.

I immediately noticed that I lost 3G connection. Trying to browse with the new APN, Gloflat, resulted in “Packet data not connected” errors. I also remembered that brym! had mentioned a 3-hour waiting period. No problem!

But while waiting, I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to continue browsing with the old Glodirect settings and be billed per kb for that, since I still had some airtime on the line. As such, I selected the Glodirect settings and tried to browse. Same error. I tried the other official Glo APNs and got the same error. Apparently, subscribing for Always Day got me yanked off mobile internet entirely on the Glo network.

Over three hours later, I tried to see if anything had changed, but no; I was still unable to get a connection. Dialling 121 didn’t get me anywhere; I simply got the busy tone each time.

Finally, I decided that I wouldn’t throw N500 at Glo like that. I had thrown away too much to GSM networks in the last several years. I did something I absolutely hate doing – I drove down to the nearest Gloworld. I knew I was going to be treated to the same old dose of ignorance or foolishness. Or both.

I wasn’t disappointed.

The plump, fair, and clueless lady who attended to me made such amazing statements like:

It cannot work on your phone because it is for modem and PC only

and

When you activated the bundle package, it messed up your provisioning because it is not for phones

and

I was not trained to activate this plan on a phone. I can only activate on PC. Please go and bring your laptop

As if it wasn’t the same settings both the modem and the phone would use. As if it wasn’t the same GSM/3G radio that powers both modem and phone. I felt like yelling at her, “Don’t be stupid; if it works on modem, it works on phone“.

But I let self-control rule. I requested that she at least provision me for regular internet service. The silly girl sent me Glo WAP settings – because in her little mind, all that my Nokia E90 communicator could handle was puny WAP. Doh! Need I say that whatever it was that she did worked not?

To make matters worse, I went to the menu in my phone browser to select the new bundle package APN, and discovered that the silly girl had deleted them! She had collected my phone for a brief period, and had apparently deleted the settings then. Why would she delete those settings from my phone? Why did she sneak up on me like that? Those settings are official. Anyone with the modem can actually look them up easilly.

Perhaps she knew that they would work on the phone, but she needed to follow a stupid line that a superior had fed her about making sure that their dumb subscribers buy those modems? But Yomi is no dumb subscriber. She was messing with the wrong chap.

Again, I kept my cool. I did not say a word about the deleted settings. I simply typed them back in. Tried browsing. Again, no show.

Meanwhile, I spoke with my contact at Glo engineering, and he went to work. I know the guy; he is an intelligent person, and one of the few people at Glo who seem to know anything about mobile technology. The others are mostly dullard businessmen and marketers, it seems. He excused himself and called me back a few minutes later.

He asked me to load at least 1 kobo on my line and then try to browse. I was under the impression that he had done something at the other end, but later found that all I needed to do was have some amount on my line’s balance, which was reading zero at the time. [Updated 13th november]

Having followed his instructions by loading airtime, I selected the Gloflat settings again, launched the browser on my phone, and presto! I was on. I was still seated before her royal cluelessness all this time. With a smug, I told her that I was now browsing – and that I was specifically browsing on the Always Day plan.

She almost jumped out of her skin and retorted, “That’s not possible because I deleted the settings.” As if she what she did was such an irreversible thing.

I smiled coolly and said, “Yes; but I put them back in.”

The look on her face spoke volumes. Perhaps I had under-estimated this man? I can imagine that this was getting embarassing for her. Customers were sitting and standing all around, anhd I imagine that some of them had followed our little drama from inception.

She started saying something about my airtime being eaten up because the service would only work via their modem. I said goodbye and walked out with a smile. I would have loved to say to her, “My name is Yomi – and when Yomi tells you that something about mobile technology should work, you shut up, sit straight and listen. Don’t ever forget that name or this face.”

That would have been dramatic – like something out of a James Bond movie. But I didn’t. I simply walked out with a warm “Have a nice day“.

Screenshot of the Gloflat configuration on the Nokia E90 - Click on image for full version

This was several hours ago. I have been browsing, connecting to mail servers, and chatting via Messenger on my phone since then via the Gloflat settings and the Always Day subscription that I did this morning. My regular airtime has stayed intact. Not a kobo has been deducted. At least, I am getting value for the N500 I loaded this morning. Tomorrow, I will be taking a deeper plunge by subscribing for G-Work, costing N6,000 and giving me 3GB for a 30-day period from 8a.m. to 9p.m. daily.

Gloflat connection at work - Click image for full size

Wish me luck. Who knows? I may complete the subscription tomorrow and my line be de-activated and yanked entirely off the GloMobile network. Now, you can stop laughing; it isn’t funny. Serious.

It all started sometime a few weeks ago…

The first issue was that on making a connection to the MTN internet service, it would often take as long as 3-5 minutes before the connection allowed you to browse. Pages simply would not load during this mandatory pause.

That was sorted out after about three weeks of this nagging issue.

Then about two weeks ago, many MTN mobile internet subscribers simply found out that they couldn’t browse at all. Again, this was solved after a number of days.

Almost immediately on the heels of that, I noticed that several mobile applications could no longer connect to the internet, including Gmail mobile, Nokia Ovi Store, and Windows Live. Others are reporting the same with Opera Mini. Perhaps the Opera Mini issue is not a deliberate blockage by MTN but a fallout of a bigger problem? Or perhaps this bigger problem is part of the result of MTN trying to block off illegal free browsing. Who knows?

But this is all becoming unbearable.

Then, it became next-to-impossible to load any secure site on my mobile browser via MTN.

To cap it all, from last Friday, some websites just do not load on MTN’s internet connection any longer – whether directly on mobile or via PC. Those sites are not experiencing server downtime, because they load on some other ISP connections.

These last three problems have remained unsolved till now. Does anyone know what is really going on with MTN mobile internet?