True 3G Plans

[ubonrthai]

I'm confused with True Move 3G. On their website there is a nice "Free Size" package for 599b. I had this about 12 months ago in Bangkok. When I go to their store though, that same plan is now 899b in the brochure. Which is correct? The store clerk said the 599b is only an old EDGE plan but I know that's not true because I used 3G on that plan 12 months ago. I'm using an iPhone 4s

What is 3G+

What is True Move H?

What speed can one realistically get? The brochure says 42Mb.

When say you get free Wi-Fi does that mean you get a username and password to use on their hotspots all over the place?

I'm confused.

[lomatopo]

What is 3G+ A marketing name for TrueMove H's 3G service.

What is True Move H? A reseller of CAT 3G and TrueMove voice/text.

What speed can one realistically get? The brochure says 42Mb. ~ 8 Mbps down

When say you get free Wi-Fi does that mean you get a username and password to use on their hotspots all over the place? Yes.

I don't think TrueMove sells 3G anymore.

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__5030851

[ubonrthai]

For "Package M" is the monthly fee 579b? What is the 190b discount? It says after 18 months you don't pay for the next 6 months but then in the fine print at the bottom it says your discount ends after 18 months. That seems to contradict itself.

[lomatopo]

A link would be better. Is this TrueMove or TrueMove H? Don't you already have an IPhone 4S?

This looks like one of the bundled new phone + service packages.

As far as I can tell the first 18 months are discounted (579 - 190 = 389), and if you were a customer in good standing for those 18 months the last six months 19 - 24 would be free.

These encourage people to buy an overpriced/overstocked phone, and lock in customers for 24 months. Win-win, for TrueMove (H).

As always, these pages are translations, they make mistakes, so you should review the terms and conditions before signing a contract.

TrueMove H have even more heavily discounted Iphone bundles: http://www.truemove-h.com/default.aspx

[haveaniceday]

I am struggleing to find a decent map of TRUE 3G coverage, the map on their site is BKK, CM and Hua HIn. I thought they had rolled out a big area now.

[ubonrthai]

Their web site is horribly confusing.

Map here.

iPhone packages here.

[lomatopo]

In English:

http://www.truemove-...k_coverage.aspx

Same as CAT My: http://www.mybycat.com/area.php?id=26

FWIW, these maps may be out of date as CAT are way ahead of schedule so expect actual coverage to be more comprehensive that what might show on these maps. I know of one specific area which has TrueMove H/CAT 3G, as of ~ 3 weeks ago, and is not shown as such on these maps.

[haveaniceday]

Oh thanks so much folks. Yeah the TRUE site is very confusing and I would say misleading, but those links helped heaps.

I found the CAT map was better, as I could zoom in / out.

I am only after a back up DATA to m ADSL 3BB. Looking at the link TRUE have Unlimited at 899b a month, but it seems to be capped at an unbelievable pathetic 5Gigs. Can anyone confirm I have read that right? I am very border line on that map anyway, will have to get a true sim to test it anyway on a tiny package.

I am currently paying 799b month to AIS for 30GB. But the new place is out of AIS 3G coverage and it will be not until early 2013 till they claim to have it where I am, anyway, that is also Thai Time roll out.

http://www.truemove-h.com/en//priceplan.aspx

With the only intention of using it as a back up, does any one know if the 30hrs at 150b is only logged when it is plugged in , or is it for use within the next 30 hours of being used the first time?

[lomatopo]

Looking at the link TRUE have Unlimited at 899b a month, but it seems to be capped at an unbelievable pathetic 5Gigs. Can anyone confirm I have read that right?

Not capped as such, rather the speed drops to 384 Kbps once you reach the fair-use threshold of 5 GB, this if fairly common.

I am currently paying 799b month to AIS for 30GB.

Believe that is 3 GB, not 30 GB.

does any one know if the 30hrs at 150b is only logged when it is plugged in , or is it for use within the next 30 hours of being used the first time?

You are allowed 30 hours of network connect time over 30 days (actually one month). So if you stayed permanently connected that would be 1 day and 6 hours, after which time you would start paying overage fees. You will have to be diligent in remembering to disconnect. A volume-based plan is a,most always preferable.

[haveaniceday]

Thanks. I am not actually using it for a portable device as per this forum thread. Well apart from every now and then with a lap top, but that may be on holidays only. I am looking at a redundancy for my 3BB ADSL for when it fails or is so dam_n slow like it does for an hour or so on weekends.

I can confirm it is actually 30Gigs on my AIS plan, I got it some 2 ears ago when they first released the trail areas as part of the 8000b AIS router deal. After about 6 months of promotion they stopped it, and every revision promotion seems to have less data for the same price !!! It is actually GSM Advacne, same same but different name.

For me initially, the 30hrs is what I will go for, and at leas see the speed and signal. I am between two hills, but have line of sight with a CAT tower, well worht the test as an alt to TOT or CAT ADSL as a back up.

[lomatopo]

I can confirm it is actually 30Gigs on my AIS plan, I got it some 2 ears ago when they first released the trail areas as part of the 8000b AIS router deal. After about 6 months of promotion they stopped it, and every revision promotion seems to have less data for the same price !!! It is actually GSM Advacne, same same but different name.

Can you expand on this AIS/GSM Advance/30 GB/8000b AIS router service? It sounds like it is available only in limited areas?

Is this Airnet?

AIS only launched 3G in July of last year, so maybe this was some sort of 2G service which AIS has now expanded to 3G? Obviously 30 GB for 799 baht is a pretty good mobile broadband deal, but certainly not as good as a fixed line solution of course. I pay 799 to True for DSL and probably use closer to 300 GB.

[rice555]

Hello All, has anybody else noticed that True H has stayed connected over the 2H-59M time

disconnect as before?

rice555

[woodyleonhard]

I can confirm it is actually 30Gigs on my AIS plan, I got it some 2 ears ago when they first released the trail areas as part of the 8000b AIS router deal. After about 6 months of promotion they stopped it, and every revision promotion seems to have less data for the same price !!! It is actually GSM Advacne, same same but different name.

Can you expand on this AIS/GSM Advance/30 GB/8000b AIS router service? It sounds like it is available only in limited areas?

Is this Airnet?

AIS only launched 3G in July of last year, so maybe this was some sort of 2G service which AIS has now expanded to 3G? Obviously 30 GB for 799 baht is a pretty good mobile broadband deal, but certainly not as good as a fixed line solution of course. I pay 799 to True for DSL and probably use closer to 300 GB.

The AIS GSM service has to be GSM = 2G. Right?

The ISPs in the US are capping their HSPA and HSPA+ ("3G") service at 3 GB or so. They also severely throttle the line as soon as you hit the magic number in one calendar month. It's a disease in the industry...

[woodyleonhard]

Hello All, has anybody else noticed that True H has stayed connected over the 2H-59M time

disconnect as before?

rice555

I'm hearing reports of exactly that - starting today... I also hear that the old CAT timeout is no longer in effect.

Which is wonderful timing because my article on the topic hits the Phuket Gazette on Saturday.

[ubonrthai]

Back to the topic at hand...

According to the local True shop, the S,M and L postpay packages still on their website (attached) are no longer valid. Only Free Size, XL and XXL. This sucks. The 579 would have been perfect for my usage.

Prepay is another option. I have no idea what my data usage will be though. Perhaps prepay is the way to go though. Then I'll feel less attached to True.....

AIS assures me they will have 3G nationwide by the end of the year. Who knows.

[lomatopo]

^ Links are always better, or at least handy for reference.

TrueMove was losing a lot of money so they really needed to both institute fair-use policies and gently nudge up their post-paid ARPU. Transitioning 3G to the H brand has allowed them to do this. AFAIK, TrueMove is no longer marketing 3G services to new subscribers.

IMO, the pre-paid route is advisable as you can evaluate the service providers overall solution without getting locked in to a contract. You can almost always find a cost-effective pre-paid plan. And you can change, or try out, providers easily. You can forward in-coming voice calls to a new number in advance of an MNP activity, if that is an issue.

Also there is a lot more than just 3G coverage, make sure you are happy with TrueMove H's handling of off-net voice, text, and data and their customer (self-) service options.

AIS will be relying on roaming (TOT) for a lot of their coverage so consider yourself forewarned. In my limited experience, AIS/One-2-Call has the worst 3G performance, and their concession is first to expire.

Hello All, has anybody else noticed that True H has stayed connected over the 2H-59M time

disconnect as before?

rice555

Possibly...

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__5109056

[ubonrthai]

I hate to leave AIS. Their customer service has been great for several years. I've used 12call prepay forever.

I've had several negative experiences with True, but they are the only 3G option out here in Ubon for the foreseeable future and I could really use faster data when on the move. Can I transfer my number from AIS to True for use on prepay? I think that is my best option until I have an idea of what my data usage will be. I did the AT&T data estimator and I think I'll be around 1.5GB.

[lomatopo]

Can I transfer my number from AIS to True for use on prepay? I think that is my best option until I have an idea of what my data usage will be. I did the AT&T data estimator and I think I'll be around 1.5GB.

Yes, you can port your number from One-2-Call to TrueMove H Prepay. Only about 75% of the ports go through here, mainly owing to account issues or mismatches on account credentials, so you may want to update any registration credentials with One-2-Call sooner rather than later. You will lose any balance, have to pay a 99 baht service charge, and have to buy a new TrueMove H Prepay SIM, like the Smartphone SIM at 99 baht.

http://www.truemove-h.com/en//mnp_whatis.aspx

I wouldn't sweat the data threshold so much? But it may be a good idea to begin tracking your data usage with one of the many tools available, if your system doesn't already have that capability. You can always move up or down.

[4evermaat]

The AIS GSM service has to be GSM = 2G. Right?

The ISPs in the US are capping their HSPA and HSPA+ ("3G") service at 3 GB or so. They also severely throttle the line as soon as you hit the magic number in one calendar month. It's a disease in the industry...

Wow....it used to be 5gb for 3g and unlimited "4g". I think I was waived because my account was a gov't acct, but I ended up cancelling my plan anyway. In a western country, what can you really do with 3GB of data on an aircard/mifi device? I understand the fair use thing, but 100-300 GB would be more like it. Even 30-50 gigs would be much more acceptable. You are right about it being a dis-ease. especially in a western country.

edit: Funny thing is that they didn't reduce the price when they introduced the cap.

I hate to leave AIS. Their customer service has been great for several years. I've used 12call prepay forever.

I've had several negative experiences with True, but they are the only 3G option out here in Ubon for the foreseeable future and I could really use faster data when on the move. Can I transfer my number from AIS to True for use on prepay? I think that is my best option until I have an idea of what my data usage will be. I did the AT&T data estimator and I think I'll be around 1.5GB.

Did you use CAT CDMA? When I went to Khemarat, I could not pick up service there, only True EDGE/GPRS. But as we started traveling towards Ubon town, I got EVDO service for a good portion, including in Ubon Town (I stayed near the Big C.....not sure how many Big Cs there are) It was good to not have to rely on the hotel for internet, which they didn't have anyway.

[haveaniceday]

It is a Huawei B932 in AIS colors.

AIS actually had 3G in Chaing Mai, Chonburi City near Bangsan beach to the city center, and Hua Hin for at least the last two areas as a "trail". In the beginning they has some great deals, trying to get sign ups I guess. Now you get about 5gig for the same price. This is a post paid service. I am using AIS 3G right now, but I am not at home, it is not often I leave home and want my laptop to go with me though. My issue is I don't wan to keep paying for AIS 3G till it eventually come to me.

I know what Airnet is, it is not airnet.

I can confirm it is actually 30Gigs on my AIS plan, I got it some 2 ears ago when they first released the trail areas as part of the 8000b AIS router deal. After about 6 months of promotion they stopped it, and every revision promotion seems to have less data for the same price !!! It is actually GSM Advacne, same same but different name.

Can you expand on this AIS/GSM Advance/30 GB/8000b AIS router service? It sounds like it is available only in limited areas?

Is this Airnet?

AIS only launched 3G in July of last year, so maybe this was some sort of 2G service which AIS has now expanded to 3G? Obviously 30 GB for 799 baht is a pretty good mobile broadband deal, but certainly not as good as a fixed line solution of course. I pay 799 to True for DSL and probably use closer to 300 GB.

[lomatopo]

^ I suspected as much. A lot of people would kill for 30 GB but those days are long gone. 3G isn't really designed, engineered, priced, packaged nor marketed as a fixed-line broadband replacement, even though that AIS trial was clearly targeting that market. A lot of people are going to be disappointed I think.

Lot's of other fallacies up-thread re: fair-use, the U.S. and "disease" but no desire to straighten them out.

[bobl]

^ I suspected as much. A lot of people would kill for 30 GB but those days are long gone.

30Gb/month is actually only 128kbps "average". Not difficult to achieve at all... When they sell you a 3Gb package they're actually selling you (roughly) the equivalent of a 14.4kbps dial-up line of old, when you consider that you can theoretically do 3Gb in a month on 14.4kbps.

In many countries, you pay your US$6/Gb or whatever $tupid price they set, and get cut off (or worse, revert to "per megabyte" madness) when you reach your limit.

In Thailand, personally (not having access to a fixed line out here in the sticks) I'm *very* happy to get 5Gb followed by the rest of the month at 384kbps. Last month I did about 70Gb...

Anyone expecting to get high speed, unlimited data on a 3G line is living in cloud cuckoo-land...

[bino]

I'm confused too.

I've been a True Move post-pay customer for several years, and had their unlimited GPRS package for 599 per month for almost all of this time.

I've just upgraded from a Galaxy Mini to a Galaxy S2. The Mini was a 900 GSM model, so I couldn't use any high speed, which was OK with me, but after buying the new phone I made certain that I'd have the high speed service.

I wanted a white one, so the sales guy showed me a I 9100 model. However, he pointed out that this phone was for AIS only, and tried to tell me that I needed I 9100 T to use with True. This had me confused, because all of the researh I did showed the S2 as being capable of 850 and 900. I asked him to try it- put my True SIM in the I 9100, and sure enough, I got an H+ connection icon as I expected. So I took the phone.

Upon returning home I installed the speedtest app, and getting consistent 5GB down, 1GB up. Tickety boo.

Then- I got to thinking and reading on the true website, and what I'd read here previously about how True Move doesn't sell 3G anymore, and I have to be a TrueMove H customer. Confuson kicked in big-time, because my new phone wasn't lying to me: I have an H signal and getting H speeds.

I called True support, and went through several reps until I got one that spoke English. I told her that I wanted to check my data package, because I am getting H speed, but I'm not a Truemove H customer. She went into her spiel - probably tells it to a lot of people everyday - about how TrueMove does not provide any high speed service, and I need to sign up for TrueMove H. I finally made her understand that I am really seeing H and getting H speed on my phone. She put me on hold for several minutes and sought an explanation.

She came back to tell me that because I am an unlimited customer from before the TrueMove H spin-off, I can still use unlimited service, including H speed, for my exisitng package price of 599 per month. I asked her about any 3.5 GB cap, and she said no.

Anyone else had this experience - being "grandfathered" with the True Move unlimited data package? Can I really be getting uncapped high speed internet on my grandfathered unlimited plan which is actually cheaper than most of the current capped plans- IE the 3.5 GB plan from Truemove H that is 699 THB per month??

Anyone expecting to get high speed, unlimited data on a 3G line is living in cloud cuckoo-land...

Right - and this is my fear. don't want to end up with a massive bill at the end of the month for high speed service tacked on to my 599 package.

[lomatopo]

^ I'm not sure I'm following you but I think you are a current TrueMove post-paid customer? If so, and you want to retain your number, and you want 3G going forward you will have to port your existing TrueMove number to TrueMove H. If you do not want tor retain your current number you can simply get a new SIM/number from TM-H.

I do not believe you will be able to retain a truly unlimited or uncapped plan once you move to TrueMove H. That is to say, you will have to choose a plan, Free to Surf & Talk, Free to Surf, etc., which us subject to a fair-use speed limit.

With these plans your speed is restricted once you reach your monthly threshold, but you still have data; you are not subject to overage charges as that is the whole point of an "unlimited" plan.

[bino]

Hello Lomatopo - thanks for the reply.

Everything you say is correct, and how I believed it.

Indeed I am a long-time postpaid True Move customer, and subscribed to the same "unlimited GPRS" for 599 THB that the OP is talking about.

I have not converted to True Move H, but I am getting high speed from the True Move SIM that I have had since the beginning. My phone shows an "H" or "H+" signal, and speedtest shows that I'm getting consistent 5gb / 1 gb up and down speeds.

A call to TRUE support to try and understand this had the support rep telling me the same thing you are. It took a lot of explaining to convince her that I am getting high speed already from True Move without convert to True Move H. She had to put me on hold for an eternity to seek clarification, but she came back to tell me that because I was a previous unlimited plan customer, that I can keep my same package and rate, use the high speed with no limit.

I don't know whether to believe her or not. Hence the reason I'm asking here if anyone else had the same experience of being "grandfathered" by True move as I apparently have been.

[DaffyDuck]

Don't question True too much about your situation, or they will "correct" the problem by shutting you down. Enjoy what you have. True has no way of verifying what phone or service you use (well, they do, but they don't), and they have to deny providing high speed service, because they are not legally licensed to provide anything but Truemove H.

Haven't you lived long enough in Thailand to know how this works? Don't rock the boat, pay your $599, enjoy the speeds.

[lomatopo]

TrueMove plans to discontinue the 3G "trial" by "mid-year" according to their public statements, at which time you will revert to GSM data (2G:GPRS/EDGE) - like speeds, but keep the same plan.

If you want 3G once the trial ends then you will have to move to TrueMove H, or DTAC or AIS.

[bino]

Yes Daffy- I have lived here long enough to know when / when not to rock the boat. This is why I accepted her explanation and left it at that. Also why I'm asking here if anyone had the same experience, or my situation is unique!

I've also been here long enough to know that indifferent customer service repsmight be telling me what I want to hear or can provide inaccurate information, and that Thailand can zing you when you least expect it.

I'm fully on board with what you say- more than happy with unlimited 5 GB speed, and go on paying my 599 / month. H*ll, who wouldn't be? No extra cost, no hassle of migrating my number etc.

What I'm thinking is to keep the data usage light for the first month, to see if any extra charge comes on the next bill. If not, I'll try using more than 3 GB for the second month and see if my speed gets capped, or if I really can go on using full speed / unlimited.

[bino]

Lomatopo- thanks for that. I guess I'll run with it for now, and cross that bridge when it happens. Good to know that it is out there / gonna happen and not come as a zinger!

[DaffyDuck]

Yes Daffy- I have lived here long enough to know when / when not to rock the boat. This is why I accepted her explanation and left it at that. Also why I'm asking here if anyone had the same experience, or my situation is unique!

I've also been here long enough to know that indifferent customer service repsmight be telling me what I want to hear or can provide inaccurate information, and that Thailand can zing you when you least expect it.

I'm fully on board with what you say- more than happy with unlimited 5 GB speed, and go on paying my 599 / month. H*ll, who wouldn't be? No extra cost, no hassle of migrating my number etc.

What I'm thinking is to keep the data usage light for the first month, to see if any extra charge comes on the next bill. If not, I'll try using more than 3 GB for the second month and see if my speed gets capped, or if I really can go on using full speed / unlimited.

Install Data Usage Pro. It's very useful and does a great job tracking actual data usage on cellular vs wifi.