Yesterday, in response to an enquiry on twitter, I mentioned that MTN Nigeria was indeed planning to introduce lower BlackBerry internet service (BIS) tariffs.

Update

The official announcement still hasn’t has now been made, and here are the new plans:

BIS Complete monthly
Gives you access to one 1 email account on your device, one web-based emailin addition to all other standard BIS services for 1 month. Data cap: 200mb. Cost: N1,500.

Text “BBC” to 21600 to activate.

BIS Complete weekly
Gives you access to one 1 email account on your device, in addition to all other standard BIS services for 1 week. Data cap: 50mb. Cost: N500.

Text “BBCweek” to 21600 to activate.

There may be more, but you will have to wait for the official announcement for all other details. This is all I know for now.

MTN’s official word on the TalkOn tariff plan as pulled up from their site is:

“If you make long calls to lots of people, MTN TalkOn is the best plan for you.

On MTN TalkOn, your first minute of call during the day will be charged at 50 kobo per second. After your first minute of calls, your MTN-to-MTN will then be charged at 25 kobo per second. No access fee, no hidden charges!!! Now that is what TRU VALUE is!!!“

It may be true value for some others, but it does not offer me anything worth shouting about. Note that this tariff plan only works when you make calls from your MTN line to other MTN lines.

Here is my situation: none of the calls I make on a regular basis are to an MTN line. And I mean not a single one. All my family and friends are on other networks- Dad, Mum, wife, brother and sisters, friends – not a single one of them are on MTN.

So what does MTN want me to do? Buy each member of my family and friends an MTN line so I can use TalkOn? I don’t think so.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the divide, the other members of my family and friends who are on Airtel are having a blast. Actually, they are talking on and on. And the best part is, they are billed 20 kobo per second for calls to other networks. Contrast that with the 50 kobo per second that I pay on MTN TalkOn when reaching my contacts on other networks.

I ask, Is it not time for me to move? I think now is the best time to drop my MTN line and move to 2good. The news article announcing MTN TalkOn registered a lot of angst from disgruntled subscribers. The solution isn’t so hard to find – perhaps it is time for those other dissatisfied subscribers like myself to drop their MTN SIMs and move to other networks that suit their needs?

MTN loyal fans can now rejoice, as the company this morning responded to Airtel’s new tariff plan, 2Good, by introducing a new set of voice tariff plans.

Migrating to MTN Paygo or MTN TalkOn offers you a number of optional features.

Features of the two plans, tariffs and codes for switching are below:

MTN PayGo

• Migrate by sending 400 to 131
• 6 Family & Friends Number: 4 which must be MTN Numbers, 1
• Number from any GSM Network, 1 International Number @N12/min or 0.20k/secs
• Magic Number: Call a number for free @ N250/month
• Happy Hour calls from 00:30 to 04:30 to any MTN Line

MTN TalkOn

• Migrate by sending 401 to 131
• 1st 60secs calls in a day @ N0.50k/secs
• After 1 minute @ N0.25k/secs
• MTN Select: Calls to USA/Canada for as low as N0.20k/secs
• Magic Number: Call a number for free @ N250/month
• Happy Hour calls from 00:30 to 04:30 to any MTN Line

What are your own views of the new packages? Please use the comment box below. Let us interact. Share the news.

MTN has announced a special promo running from now till January 2011 featuring reduced Blackberry Internet Service tariffs. Details of the new BIS tariffs are as follows:

• Monthly – N5, 000. N3, 000. Text BIS to 21600
• Weekly – N1, 300. N1, 000. Text BBweek to 21600

Now you can stay in touch every week, every month for less.

In addition, MTN is giving out free genuine BlackBerry accessories (Car chargers, assorted BlackBerry phone cover and leather pouches) for every new BlackBerry device you buy. Limited stock available, so hurry! Don’t forget that this promo runs till January 2011.

Nokia has partnered with MTN Nigeria to bundle a messaging solution its new Nokia C3 to offer instant messaging to mobile users.

The device built with social networking offers instant access to favorite social communities such as Facebook and Twitter straight from the home screen for users to easily view and update their status.

The Nokia C3 device which was launched into the market in alliance with MTN Nigeria enables users to pay a data monthly subscription of N1000 on the network giving them access to Internet service at an affordable rate.

It also lets users to get messages across quickly having a QWERTY keyboard that helps in managing email, chat, calendar among others including dedicated widgets on the home screen.

Nokia says that users who purchase the device can activate it either with their old or new MTN lines and users would enjoy one month free access with MTN network.

Nokia representative, Marcel Van-de-pas says the device meets the desire of users on the lookout for a good looking, affordable handset that allows them to stay continually connected to communities that suits their lifestyle be it email, IM buddies, while offering instant access to Yahoo mail and Messenger, Gmail, MSN Hotmail, Window Live Messenger, Facebook and Twitter.

“The Nokia C3 also allows users to surf the Web wherever they are so they can be sure to keep in touch with their friends and family whenever they like. Nokia is the number one leader when it comes to giving consumers solutions to their mobile needs and with Nokia’s Ovi mail and Ovi chat on board, email and chats can be set up straight from the device.”

Nokia says it partnered MTN because of the network’s wider coverage area and plans further partnership deals with other networks in the country since the device would work with any operator’s SIM card.

West Africa Retailing and Consumer Marketing Manager, Nokia, Titilayo Olubiyi says the device can be set up by sending SMS with the word, “Nokia” to 131 after activating their SIM to enjoy one month free access from MTN network before they start paying N1000 monthly subscription to access the network.

Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Bola Akingbade says MTN is happy to be associated with this new device which would help users to enjoy its services across board adding that with the new offer users would be able to communicate to each other at an affordable rate.

The device has a two mega-pixel camera that comes in handy for taking pictures and videos which can be instantly shared online from the device to users’ favorite social network via GPRS.

Update (6th October 2010):
We got some feedback from Nokia’s West Africa Retailing and Consumer Marketing Manager via MTN to help you out with your concerns as expressed in the comments section.

SetUp and Other Details

Simply purchase your Nokia C3 from any retailer, including the Mobility Nigeria phone store, put in your MTN SIM and send “Nokia” as SMS to 131.

Users who purchase the C3 can activate it either with their old or new MTN lines and they would enjoy one month free access with MTN network.

Users get 1 month free 100MB data on the MTN network. After the first month, users are required to subscribe to any of MTN’s bundle plans for use on the device.

MTN Nigeria has introduced a new product called MTN Conference Call. Yes; we know it sounds likeold news, afterall conference call service has been available on the MTN network for years. But don’t be fooled by the similarity in name. This is different. Even non-MTN subscribers can use this one, and each conference participant bears his/her own call cost.

From MTN:

What is MTN Conference Call?

Engage in multiple phone conversations from anywhere and from any network in the world by dialling into central number and entering a predefined PIN.

With MTN Conference Call, companies, businesspeople, academics, professionals etc, to hold secure multiparty conversations over the phone without the need to travel.

Features & Benefits

• NO access fees, NO subscription fees, NO extra costs
• Accessible to any network subscriber, from anywhere in the world, 24/7
• Secure conversations with a PIN-based security system
• Multiple access options (Internet & Interactive Voice Response system (IVR)
• You’ll save time & money that would have been otherwise spent on travel and logistics

What does it Cost?

*There are NO extra charges for using this service. You simply pay the cost of calling an MTN number as set by you Network provider.

How is this service different from the MTN mobile Conference Call service?

Unlike the MTN mobile conference call service, with MTN Conference Call:

• All callers (calling into the conference call) bear the cost of their calls. Callers simply pay the cost of calling an MTN number as set by their Network provider
• Up to 20 callers can call into a conference call

How can I access the service?

You can access the MTN Conference Call service and schedule a conference call via the following means:

• A Phone call: Simply call 0803 900 3000 and follow the voice prompt.
• The Internet: Simply go to www.mtnconferencecall.com and follow the instructions

Can non-MTN subscribers access the MTN Conference Call service?

Yes. Anyone can schedule or join a conference call via the MTN Conference Call service.

What is the minimum/maximum number of callers that can participate in a conference call?

The minimum number is 2 and the maximum number is 20.

How will I be billed?

There are NO extra charges for using this service. You simply pay the cost of calling an MTN number as set by you Network provider.

Visit www.mtnconferencecall.com or visit an MTN outlet for more details.

Yesterday, we reported that MTN’s internet service went absent without leave, leaving subscribers stranded.

Apparently, a significant number of regulars on MobilityNigeria.com depend on MTN’s internet service, as most of them have been absent too since the MTN blackout. It is an unfortunate fact that once in a while in the IT world, stuff happens – software gets a glitch, systems crash, bugs throw networks in disarray, et al.

Whatever it is that is behind this blackout needs to be dealt with. As at the time of publishing this article, the service is yet to be back. In addition, there has been no statement from MTN about the issue. Our contacts in there only say that customers had started calling in to complain on Monday. Apparently, the problem started as a limited fault then, before progressing further yesterday.

One thing is for sure, MTN needs to put their acts together in terms of quality of service. Actually, all our telecoms operators need to improve on their quality of service. It is just that for a very long time, MTN has needed the makeover more than any other.

Does anyone have more information on what is going on with MTN internet at this time?

Every GSM network in Nigeria today offers a BlackBerry prepaid service. Truth be told, opening up BlackBerry service to prepaid subscribers is the best thing that happened to BlackBerry service in the consumer arena.

To get BlackBerry service on the MTN network without going through the hassles of signing a contract, purchase your BlackBerry device (from MTN or any retailer – make sure its not locked down to another network), pop in your MTN SIM, and do the following:

• load N5,000 and text “BIS” to 21600. This will give you one month’s subscription to the service and configure your device automatically.
• load N1,300 and text “BBWEEK” to 21600. This will give you one month’s subscription to the service and configure your device automatically.

Your one month subscription gives you unlimited access (you read that right, so we were told by our contact at MTN) to BlackBerry Internet Service. You can access up to 10 work and personal email accounts, plus an optional, new BlackBerry email address that comes with your BlackBerry smartphone. You can browse websites and use instant messaging on your BlackBerry smartphone.

Here at MobilityNigeria, our team members have used and/or reviewed devices on every smartphone platform (Symbian, Android, Windowsphone, iPhone) except for BlackBerry. We are looking to change that and hope to have a BlackBerry device in our hands later this month (Any retailer care to send us a review unit? how about MTN?).

We are eyeing the BlackBerry Tour 9630 or the Bold 9700 (Bold2). As usual, we shall be pushing the device to see how it measures up and bring you detailed reviews of how it performs.

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?

For the first time in many months, Nigeria fell off Opera Mini’s top 10 countries list, while Vietnam made its debut.

Here are other statistics from the report:

• Nokia and Sony Ericsson are by far the most popular handset brands chosen by Opera Mini users in the CIS
• Users in the top 10 countries save up to 672 million USD per month, or over 8.1 billion USD per year

Behind the Scene

Apparently, part of the phenomenal growth of mobile internet usage in Nigeria stemmed from the widespread practice of illegal free browsing, as subscribers generally by-passed network tolls (usually by tweaking certain settings in Opera Mini itself, alongsideother applications on PC).

Of recent, it has been reported that both MTN Nigeria and Zain Nigeria took steps to curb this practice, blocking off access to Opera Mini’s servers, and thus resulting in the recorded drop in usage. If the networks are able to keep hackers off their mobile internet services, we can expect to see Nigeria drop further on the Opera Mini chart.

Those rooting for illegal free browsing because of supposed high mobile internet tariffs need to explore legal options. For example, the very same Opera Mini that the hackers use to bypass network tolls deliver incredible savings on browsing because of its compression technology.

Personally, I have used Opera Mini extensively and even with my heavy usage, a 100mb bundle subscription (costing just N1, 000 per month) is more than adequate when used on Opera Mini. Even pay-as-you-go internet is made much more economical.

This is an application that already helps the subscriber cut costs by as much as 90% (that’s almost free browsing, if you really, really think of it).

Is it too much to let the network operators make that small margin just so they can keep access to the Opera Mini servers alive? In my opinion, this free browsing craze is not the product of poverty, but of gross selfishness, self-centredness and of corrupt minds.

But what do we care?

I cannot help being mobile data oriented. Data on the go is what I’ve been all about from the word go. So, if you will excuse me, can I take us back about 6 years to the dusty lanes of 2003 to 2005?

Of course, GSM dial-up had existed in Nigeria before 2003. As far back as early 2002, I had used CSD from MTN. It was unstable, and very often failed, but at least it was there. But, let us be content to go back only as far as 2003 when the technology had achived a certain stability.

2003 was early days for GSM technology in Nigeria, and more specifically for GSM data services. Everyone is excited about high speed internet today, what with 3.5G, 3G, and even EDGE coverage spreading wider and wider. Even basic GPRS, where it exists today, is heaven compared to what we had to settle for in the beginning.

Yes; in the beginning, there was GSM dial-up. The technical name is Circuit Switched Data (CSD). But if you are old enough to know how dial up internet works, basically CSD means that you use your GSM line to dial a given phone number in order to connect to the internet.

The cost was N50 per minute then. And the theoretical maximum speed was – wait for it – 9.6kbps!

CSD was first deployed by Mtech on the MTN network sometime between late 2001 and early 2002, and then also on Vmobile (now Zain) in 2005. Just for kicks, I have pulled out the CSD settings from my archives and will post them here (just in case someone has a hair-brained inspiration to try it out).

MTN

Profile Name: Mtech
username: mtech
Password: mlife
IP/Gateway: 192.168.77.153
Port: 9210
Dialup number: 08039002000 (f
Data type: analogue
Data speed: 9.6kbps
Connection: connectionless
Home: http://web.mlifeng.com (or use http://mobinaija.com instead)

Vmobile (now Zain)

Profile Name: Vactive
username: wap
Password: wap
IP/Gateway: 172.018.254.005
Port: 9210
Dialup number: +2348022981000
Data type: analogue
Data speed: 9.6kbps
Connection: connectionless
Home: http://wap.vmobile4me.com (or use http://mobinaija.com instead)

3rd Party Dialup Services

I also remember vividly that Disc Communications Ltd (Discomm) had a dial-up service made available to the public. I used this regularly with my smartphone’s built-in mail client to manage my mails.

The Discomm details are/were(?) as follows:
Provider’s name: DISC
username: test
password: test
dialup number: 013459000