DATA USAGE EXPLAINED

1. HOW DOES VODACOM CALCULATE AND CHARGE MY DATA / INTERNET USAGE?

Your data usage is billed based on the amount of data (Kilobytes) which is sent from your computer to the Internet, OR received by your computer from the Internet. For example, every time you visit a website, OR when you send or receive emails, Vodacom will calculate the amount of data (Kilobytes) sent and received. The amount of data is then multiplied by the appropriate tariff rate (e.g. R 1.20 per Megabyte).

2. DOES IT MATTER HOW LONG I STAY CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET?

No. You are billed based on the amount of data which is sent and received by your computer, and NOT the "length of time" that you stay connected to the Internet / email. In other words, for some periods you may not incur ANY charges when connected, but similarly you may incur high charges when sending and receiving BIG amounts of data within a few seconds or minutes.

3. WHAT RISKS ARE INVOLVED WHEN I CONNECT TO THE INTERNET / EMAIL?

When your computer is connected to the Internet, it can send and receive large amounts of information "by itself" within a very short period of time - without you even knowing about it! This is normally caused by viruses, etc.

4. AM I LIABLE FOR "UNINTENDED" DATA USAGE (FOR EXAMPLE VIRUSES, ETC)?

Yes. It is your responsibility to protect your computer against unintended data usage when connected to the Internet. We advise that you consult with an IT technician to explain the various protective measures available to you.

MANAGING YOUR DATA USAGE

1. HOW CAN I MANAGE / MONITOR MY DATA USAGE?

1. Do not leave your computer connected to the Internet when you do not require to be connected.
2. Ensure that you have sufficient protective measures against viruses, spyware, etc, loaded on your computer.
3. Be careful when listening to music, or watching / downloading movies over the Internet, since such content normally contains large amounts of data.
4. Products like web accelerators can affect your data usage tremendously. These products are intended to speed up your surfing experience by downloading an entire website and any linked websites in the background and saving it in your computer's cache (temporary memory). This leads to many pages being downloaded that you may never even visit, leading to large data usage and big bills. Examples of such products are Mweb web accelerator, Google web accelerator, Propel Internet Accelerator, Fasterfox for Firefox, Netfury, Net Vampire, Webcopier, Webstripper etc.
5. Protect your computer against unauthorised usage and access via wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth & WiFi.
6. To find out how much data you have used or have available on your current data bundle:
   1. Log onto www.vodacom4me.co.za and go to the "My Account" > "Account Info" menu option. Remember to use your data modem's "cellphone number" to logon.
   2. SMS the letters MM to 31050 (free service) - you can send an SMS from the Vodafone Mobile Connect Software.
   3. Click on the "View Usage" button in the Vodafone Mobile Connect Software which indicates month-to-date data usage. Note that this may not always be 100% accurate due to various technical reasons - such as viruses, spyware, etc. and could be up to 24-hours delayed.

2. WILL VODACOM SEND ME NOTIFICATIONS OF MY DATA USAGE?

Yes. Vodacom will send SMS notifications to your device, alerting you that you have exceeded 50%, 80% or 100% usage of your data bundle allocation.

3. CAN I RECEIVE THE SMS NOTIFICATIONS ON AN ALTERNATE SIM CARD OF MY CHOICE?

Yes. If you wish to receive your SMS notifications on another SIM card in another device such as a cellphone, simply send an SMS from the Vodafone Mobile Connect Software as follows:

SMS altnum 0xxxxxxxxx (last 9 digits of the alternate cellphone number you wish your notifications to be sent to) to 123.

NOTE:

• An activation notification message will then be sent to your specified alternate cellphone number.
• All future SMS data usage notifications will be sent to the alternate number specified.
• The 10 digit cellphone number specified does NOT have to be on the Vodacom Network.
• If your USB modem does not have SMS functionality, you can have the software upgraded (free of charge) to allow you to send and receive SMSs. Downloads are available at www.vodacom.co.za/vmc