Update (2013-10-28): I replaced the original screenshot of the Axxess page with their current logo at their request.
I’ve been using Axxess DSL for my ADSL access since I first started using ADSL a couple years ago. We use a lot of data and average between 20GB and 25GB on good months. The price per GB isn’t too bad (I pay R59 per GB) and it is very easy to top-up my account … perhaps a little too easy.
There are times when I wonder just how my data is being monitored and how it is I manage to use so much. This morning is a good example. We hit our latest cap last night and I added 1 GB this morning. I did a little browsing and email before I had to rush out for a couple hours and by the time I got back to my office that 1 GB was gone. It turns out much of that bandwidth was consumed by uploads but I haven’t uploaded much of anything today. I was doing a backup online yesterday morning so the thought occurred to me that perhaps that usage was only captured after I added my 1GB and that effectively wiped that data out.
On the other hand it also occurred to me that there are some funny data usage and billing practices going on at Axxess. Now I have nothing to really substantiate this suspicion and it probably only occurred to me because I was (and am) ticked that I had to fork out for yet another 1 GB.
If anything this highlights the cost of our bandwidth and the syrupy rate of price reductions by our providers despite Seacom and whichever other factors help reduce DSL prices. It also doesn’t help that Axxess (and they tell me, other providers too) don’t really distinguish between local and international bandwidth in their billing (unless you have separate local bandwidth and general accounts – what a pain!). I’ve been using Zoopy for my video uploads for a while now because of the local bandwidth appeal but it turns out that means nothing because Axxess just sees usage as usage, regardless of where it is.
Bottom line here is that I am just a bit ticked off at the cost of our DSL and, more particularly, what I keep spending on DSL. I could probably use it less. I could also stop using so much electricity and start cooking by firelight too but that wouldn’t be nearly as civil. I could re-consider Axxess’ uncapped option but at R2 700 for a 4 MB/sec line that works out to around 45 GB of usage. I’m not quite there yet so that still seems a little to expensive. I am also not keen on dropping my line speed down to 512kbps either. Yech!
I guess I’ll just keep an eye on local DSL providers and if/when a cheaper/better one pops up, weigh the merits of jumping ship. I am already trying out G-Connect (well, when I have credit in my account) so maybe I should look at shifting across there? There are one or two other services in the works which also look interesting. The question is what they will charge and what kind of service they’ll offer.
At the moment the biggest data flow seems to be the data representing money from my bank account to Axxess’ bank account.
RSS – Posts
What do you think?