Monday 26 September 2011

New Tbaytel Hub Data Flex Plan – 26 Sep 11 (updated)

According to their website page, Tbaytel has added a fourth tier with a 20 GB cap to its variable Hub Data Flex Plan. 

Under the new plans, the rates are:
Tbaytel Hub Data Flex Plan:
3 GB - $35.00
5 GB - $45.00
10 GB - $60.00
20 GB - $75.00
Overage .05/MB
The extra 10 GB for an additional $15.00 is a marked improvement. Under the old plan, this additional 10 GB would have cost $500.00!  The new 20 GB cap is about 25% greater than the average monthly usage as reported by the CRTC.


I am disappointed that the Overage rate of .05/MB was maintained. A rate comparable with the Rogers $10 per GB rate, while still high, is a little better. Under the Tbaytel plan $10.00 only buys an additional 200 MB of data transfer.

It will be interesting to see if Rogers announces any changes to their plan to meet the new Tbaytel rate plan.

21 comments:

  1. Why are you disappointed? Don't like the prices, then don't use the service.

    The rest of us are happy tbaytel has stepped in and filled the internet and cell void. The big companies you speak so highly of wanted nothing to do with us.

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  3. I am glad you area happy with the service. It makes the 10 years I spent working with SWI and Tbaytel to bring the basic cellular backbone network and cell sites into the Algoma District well worth it.

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  4. Hi - do you know if an Ericsson hub purchased from Rogers store will work for me if I sign up for the TBayTel plan? I got the hub from Rogers and not TBayTel for exactly the reason you mentioned - the crazy overage rate of .05/MB from TBayTel. But I did not sign a service contract so I can cancel the service and use the same h/w on TBayTel? Pull the SIM card and use another from TBayTel? Or are the devices locked somehow?

    Thanks for the update - it will be interesting to see if Rogers offers something better.

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  5. I was told orally by a Tbaytel marketing type that the Rogers and Tbaytel data hubs were interchangeable provided the appropriate SIM was purchased and inserted. However, I am not aware of anyone who has actually done it so I can't unequivocally confirm the possibility.

    Since I am in a similar situation in that I purchased Rogers NetComm hub outright, I will try to get written confirmation from Tbaytel.

    A new consideration may have arisen in the past few days. There are some indications that Tbaytel took action to prevent cross-border roaming on US carriers, especially in the case of 2G (GSM) activity. Since then, there have been reports that some users with Tbaytel hubs can no longer connect to Rogers’ sites in 3G mode. So far, feedback on this issue has only come from users with a billing/home address outside the Tbaytel service area which is basically north of the 6th Line in SSM.

    Tbaytel has a 15 days return policy on the data hub but I don't know if it applies to a SIM card only as well.

    With regard to locking, my NetComm hub has the outside Canada data roaming disabled at the source.

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  6. Thanks for the additional information. It would be nice if you could make the jump. Unfortunately the hub I purchased was from a Rogers store and not one of the TBaytel outlets - it's the Ericsson W35, which may not be the same as the NetComm (in terms of interchangeability, etc.). I don't know who sells what or what works with what, so I'm just still a bit confused and guessing at this point.

    The recent development in service interruption is also an interesting twist. Guess there's going to be some more growing pains all around.

    I'm really hoping Rogers makes an adjustment as well to the data tiers but I have a feeling that the limited scope of TBaytel will not budge them - they (Rogers) sell these hubs all over Canada, where there is no other similar "competition" (aside from Bell). In the big scheme would they really care what TBaytel does with it's smaller customer base? I don't know...

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  7. Tbaytel's netcomm hubs were never intended to roam on Rogers or on any other provider.

    It seems a glitch on tbaytel's switch allowed unauthorized roaming to occur. Tbaytel has taken steps to correct this issue.

    http://tbaytel.net/media/tbaytel_portable_internet-0911.pdf

    "Offer available only where Tbaytel 4G HSPA+ Network is available."

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  8. Anonymous – thanks for the clarification on restrictions for Tbaytel data hub usage. I assume you are a Tbaytel insider. Informative comments are always helpful.

    I did notice the comment about the “Tbaytel HSPA+ Network only” but I also noticed that the image on the brochures distributed in the North Sault area and on the image at the website show the Rogers logo on the hardware as well as the trade marked Rocket Hub name. It would be easy for someone to thing the Rocket hub would work on the Rocket network i.e. Rogers. Also the tag line “with the power of Rogers” might lead one to believe that the hardware was interoperable with the Rogers network. In any case, it is good to have the clarification.

    One of the selling points of the data hub is its mobility. It is unfortunate that as residents with a foot in each camp – a primary home in Rogers territory in the city and a seasonal home in the Tbaytel territory – have to decide which vendor they are going to go with. Each has their advantages and disadvantages.

    At the moment I am not aware of either vendor offering a seasonal rate for the data hub service.

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  9. ok now im getting nervous, i got the rocket hub out in searchmont over a month ago and thought instead of getting bell or shaw for tv i would use netflix.i watch about 5 movies or tv shows a day. almost everyday.is my bill going to be like 1000 bucks? shouldnt they called me once my bill was getting crazy high? 20 gb aint alot if your using it to watch movies and use the internet. just wondering what im in for when my bill comes out in a few days,customer service cant look at my bill yet they told me.

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  10. As explained in this blog:

    http://adnetinalgoma.blogspot.com/2011/10/rogers-data-hub-excessive-usage-price.html

    Rogers has a $110.00 maximum charge policy for their data hub users. At the moment, I am not aware of any similar plan for Tbaytel but I will try to find out more information

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    1. Well i got my bill today,1436 dollars. Data overage charges. i got rid of netflix,its a rogers hub thru tbaytel, i cant believe the lady that sold it to me told me it was fine to watch netflix with the hub, im not very pc smart.i even told her what i was planning on using it for. was that to just get a quick sell? im very very disappointed with tbay, a email or phone call or a letter saying that my usage was so high would have put a stop to me watching movies out here. how can they not cap a service like that? 1400 bill...thats insane

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    3. I have been unable to independently verify the above costs but I have no reason to doubt their veracity.

      I am a bit confused by the statement “its a rogers hub thru tbaytel [sic]”. As I have noted elsewhere, the Tbaytel data hubs are branded as Rogers so I believe this is what is meant.

      I have provide a more detailed response at http://adnetinalgoma.blogspot.com/2012/02/potential-high-cost-for-data-hub-usage.html

      My sympathy goes out to you. I know there is likely a legally binding contract involved, but I hope Tbaytel will work with you to reach a reasonable, mutually agreeable resolution to the costs.
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  11. Anonymous

    See the new blog called "Data Hub Data Prices Caps as of 30 Jan 12" for a more complete discussion of overages.

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    1. "Hermes" why are you removing posts? Doing so brings the validity of all your posts into question.

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    2. There was a spelling error in my original post that changed the meaning of the post. The original posting was worded "I have been able ...' It should have read "I have been unable..." which is the way it reads now. Everything else is the same. The system does not allow me to amend a comment after it has been posted.

      I decided to remove my own post, which is my privilege as the blog owner.

      Likewise I cannot change a comment submitted by a reader; my only options are to to publish or not publish.


      I have never removed a published reader's comment and cannot perceive a situation where I would.

      The only comments I have not published to date are those containing vulgar language. Even in those cases I noted the problem and published a paraphrased version if the comment was otherwise informative.

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  12. i cant believe I use over 10 gigs on facebook . I just don't believe it.

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  13. These tablets have a data usage counter on them, and I only used 23GB it says as well as a global surfer iii router, thru tbaytel, that has a data counter on it also says I used 23GB, and my most recent bill come in, and they been OK since I got the hub, paying the 84.75 a month doing what I do since I got the hub since, all of a sudden I'm struck with a 1100 bill, told them it's there equipment, I'm a computer tech, and know, that no device or computer can download that much data in "updates" as the guy on the phone told me, in a month

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    1. An $1100.00 bill equates to approximately 122 GB of data transfer based on the current Tbaytel flex rate structure of 20 GB for $75.00 and overages at 1¢ per MB or $10.00 per GB.

      The 122 GB equates to about 53 hours of high-definition (HD - 1080) Netflix video based on information provide on their website. On the other hand YouTube claims a data consumption rate of only .75 GB per hour for HD (1080) video.

      Anyway you cut it, it seems that $1100.00 is one heck of an amount of data transfer.

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    2. Been watching Netflix since August for limited amounts of time since I got this hub, and only been paying 85 a month (top tier package) up until I heard they performed some upgrades back in December, where my bill, as well as 4 other parties bills suddenly went wacky and I'm a computer tech I bet it's their equipment, but again I'll say someone's money hungry

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    3. It was not my intent to assume that your large bill was caused be by watching a lot of Netflix or YouTube. I just wanted to show what $1100 worth of data might look like in terms that users with less knowledge and experience than you could understand.

      I have not received any other reports of unexplained overages from Tbaytel users. That is not to say there have not been billing problems; just that I have not heard of them.

      I did hear about a situation where one user’s son gave the WiFi password to his friends next door and they were able to access the data hub for free while running up the user’s bill. He was blaming Tbaytel until he tracked down the real problem. (I am sure as a computer tech you have protected against this so I am not inferring this is related to your overages.)

      In any case, good luck with identifying the root cause resulting in the overages.

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