Econet Wireless Zimbabwe says it has reviewed its Smart4U bundle offering as part of efforts to keep the popular product in line with how customers actually use it. The company also wants to clear up how the product works.
The review follows a spike in customer queries. Some people were asking why they get different Smart4U offers from friends or family, and why certain Smart4U bundles suddenly vanish from their menus. Others wanted to know why their internet speeds drop after they hit specific usage levels.
According to Econet, Smart4U bundles are personalised packages that combine voice, data and SMS, tailored to each customer’s usage habits.
Unlike standard bundles that are open to everyone, Smart4U offers are based on an assessment of your voice, data and SMS usage over the past three months.
That means different customers will get different offers, depending on how they use their line. And your own offer can go up, go down, disappear or come back over time – all based on changes in your usage patterns.
“Smart4U is designed to provide customers with value based on their unique usage patterns,” Econet said.
“Because every customer’s needs – and therefore usage patterns – are different, the available offer per customer will vary from one subscriber to another.”
Econet added that one key area where customers need more clarity is the Fair Usage Policy, or FUP. It applies to Smart4U bundles and is there to make sure everyone on the network gets a fair and consistent experience.
FUP is standard practice for internet and mobile broadband providers worldwide. It helps keep the network running smoothly for all customers by stopping a small number of very heavy users from slowing down connectivity for everyone else.
“The policy helps protect network performance, prevent inequitable use of network resources and guarantees critical access to services for all customers as data consumption continues to grow,” the mobile network operator said.
Under the Fair Usage Policy, customers get the maximum internet speeds available in their area. But once you hit certain usage thresholds, your browsing speeds may gradually drop, in stages, to help keep the network running well for everyone.
According to Econet, Smart4U has three usage stages.
“During the primary and first stage, customers access the highest available speeds on the network. Once the applicable Fair Usage threshold is reached, users move to a secondary stage where speeds are reduced, with a further reduction in speeds occurring in the third and last stage, if usage continues beyond prescribed limits,” Econet explained.
Econet noted, however, that you can boost your speeds back to the maximum available in your area by buying a Smart4U Top-Up bundle.
The company stressed that Fair Usage Policies are used by telecoms operators worldwide to balance growing demand for data with the network’s capacity.
Econet also pointed out that actual internet speeds depend on a few other factors, too – like where you are, network coverage, what device you’re using, and how busy the network is at that time.
Smart4U bundles are valid for 30 days or until you have used up the allocated data, whichever comes first. You can only buy one per calendar month.
But if you run out of your Smart4U allocation before the 30 days are up, you can buy a Smart4U Top-Up bundle.
Econet said top-ups restore your browsing speeds to the maximum available in your location, depending on network conditions, so you can keep enjoying high-speed internet.
The company also reminded customers that Smart4U bundles are non-transferable and only work on the line that bought them. Tethering and hotspot use are not supported under the Smart4U offer.
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