There is no gainsaying the fact that the cost of internet data in Africa is expensive. Thanks to the steem blockchain from where we could earn some steem/steem blockchain dollars (SBDs) that will enable us pay for unlimited internet monthly subscription, if we so desire. The post I read this morning, authored by @dragonslayer109, titled-South Africa, Leading Economy in Africa, Also Leads in Data Prices, made me recall that my younger brother, while he was in Benin City, told me about an Internet Service Provider (ISP), through which he was able to access the internet. The ISP is known as smile.
Credit image.
Get On The Smile Unlimited Lite Data Plan
There are eight (8) cities in Nigeria from where smile unlimited lite data monthly subscription plan can be bought. The cities are listed the screen shot below; Asaba, Abuja, Benin, Ibadan, Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Onitsha & Kaduna. The cost is for 10,000 NGN (about 30 SBD)/month.
Screen shot of my comment on @dragonslayer109's post.
How To Save 30 SBD/Month For Internet Data
In case you are interested in using the smile service or that of any other cost-effective unlimited ISP of about the same price, the you'll have to save 1 SBD/day. After 30 days, there'll be 30 SBD in your wallet, which can be exchanged for about 10,000 NGN using @airhawk-project's escrow service.
Ps: I have no affiliation with smile company. Whatever it is that have been written in this post about their service are my personal thoughts. This is based on feedback from my younger brother, who subscribed to their service for years.
What is the average cost of Internet data (capped/uncapped)/month in your area? Please, share in the comments section.
Follow @maryfavour, @redfishpillar on steemit, busy.org, twitter, discord & facebook.
The issue of data is really a big pain in the neck. One xan hardly last for days with monthly plans. But I buy your idea about steemians contributing.
The only turnoff here is some that do nit live within the area specified. But all the same this is a very good idea. Thank you fir sharing.
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Hello, @gloglo.
We all understand the challenges with power, internet and can articulate them. What is more important is for us to think solutions. I'm glad that you buy the idea of a group of steemian friends pulling resources together to help them overcome the challenge of internet data. Thanks for your contribution. Much appreciated.
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The pleasure is all mine. It gladdened my heart when I saw it because I have been offline due to data consumption too but I hope to sort them out soon.
Well done sis.
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Hi, the ones living together, especially the students could easily do the internet data pool. Now I always wonder how I was able to use 3GB per month, something I couldn't even use in a week without running out of it.
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Haha... its really discouraging sometimes... but i guess everything has its other side apart from the swert part, and so is the issue of steeming and high data rate consumption.
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I wrote a post too on this yesterday. But the sad reality is 30 SBD is still very much a lot of money and most steemians from Nigeria could not afford to save 1 SBD per day.
Data is still a big problem in Nigeria and most other parts of Africa. This 30 SBD may appear not so big till you realize it's half (or more than half) the monthly minimum wage approved by the country's decision makers. Like epileptic power supply, I really do hope that a lasting solution could be found.
I and other well-meaning steemians appreciate the laudable efforts you are making for other steemians through your personal account, @maryfavour, and the @redfishpillar project. Keep up the good work. Keep steeming.
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Glad to see you here, @greenrun. It's true that 30 SBD is much for the average Nigerian, whose minimum wage is only N18,000. There are ways to overcome such things. I like to think solutions.
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
In a family, there are usually about 7 members (they could be more or less). These could come together to use the internet in turns, pool resources together to pay for subcription. Alternatively, there could be a group of 10 steemian friends residing in the same area. They could contribute N1,000 each/month to use the internet for 1 hour/day .
Regarding epileptic power supply, a possible solution is found in a post, which I wrote 2 months ago titiled- How To Evolve With MTN Lumos Mobile Electricity Kit For 150 STEEM OR STEEM BACKED DOLLARS (SBDs) .
Thanks for the appreciation, dear. God is the provider. We thank Him for life and providence.
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That internet pool looks like a solution that could work. Saving 1SBD daily also is a wonderful suggestion. Most that could afford to do that should as a matter of urgency do. I just wish Smile Network had covered Nigeria the way MTN had. Smile would have given them a run for their money.
I was discussing with a newbie that only comes online when the brother returns from his sales job and shares his internet via WiFi. So a group of young steemians could actually pool resource together and data pool same way people going the same direction carpool.
All they need is a WiFi hot-spot and they could easily share the cost. Nice suggestion.
About Lumos, I think it could help the power side of it. The green in my username has something to do with alternative energy as a solution to Nigeria's problem. I would still delve deeper into that. But Lumos is a laudable project, at a time I wanted to partner with a friend to import something similar but when we did survey we got the same response I get now when I tell people about Lumos, "It is costly."
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I'm glad that you like the suggestion of data pool/pool of funds for resources (internet). It can also be called a hub. Back in the days, at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, when I was pursuing my masters degree, there was AFRIHUB on campus. Students went there to surf the internet and paid a token of N100/hr. So, forming steem-hubs would be great. @gloglo also buys the idea. Please, read her comment.
Beautiful, that is good to know. So green is for green energy/renewable energy. Please, do well to delve into it. The more people providing clean energy in Nigeria, the better.
Whether we like it or not, foreigners will not be able to help us fix our problems in Nigeria, if we are not prepared to think out of the box to proffer long lasting solutions. Can you find a way to make energy cheaper for the average Nigerian? We began to witness beverages like peak powdered milk, choco, bournvita packed in satchets when the companies (e.g Nestle & Cadbury) producing them understood that the average Nigerian couldn't afford to buy a tin of milk for N50/N60 then.
Do you know that you could create a solar energy product backed by SMT tokens? I have tons of ideas in my head. IDEAS=MONEY. There is a plan I am working on how to better the Nigeria health sector by providing a working product, which would be backed by both Steem #SMT & fiat currency (Nigeria Naira).
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You are right, AfriHub the ICT people, they are in every school I think. Ideas are just limitless on how to apply SMT to solve a lot of problems. I am eagerly awaiting its launch. Thank you.
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@maryfavour, thanks for the good heart and useful information. It will go a long way.
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It's my pleasure, @petoz. Give it a try, if you reside in any of the 8 cities mentioned in Nigeria. Resteem the post too, so that your fans too can benefit from the information. Keep steeming!
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Smile it is. I am tired of spending roughly 7,000 Naira on data that can be used up. Smile it is.
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Thank you for giving this tip.
Nevertheless I think it's still on the high side spending up to 10,000 Naira/30sbd on subscription monthly.
In my area,Lagos, 2,000 Naira 9mobile subscription gives me 3.5GB of data which lasts for about two weeks and minimum of 12days if I take some break at night. In a month I'll surely spend about 4,000naira or 5,000naira Max on subscription. Yet it's unfavorable.
In my opinion, we need investors to turn around the time as its getting unbearable. Worst is that the data plans of some of the operators are equivalent to exploitation. You subscribe for 3.5GB and in reality what is there is 2GB. From research MTN data falls in this category.
@bob-elr
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Hello @bob-elr.
I would rather spend N10,000 to get unlimited/uncapped service from my ISP, than spend half that amount (N5,000) to get 7 GB (3.5 +3.5). That is for me who practically reside online. Lol! People are different. So, subscription to a service should be according to the needs of the person.
As one with business acumen, Investors would only want to invest in a business that promises great ROI. There are a lot of factors that need consideration like power supply/electricity, security, favourable regulatory policies etc. Hmm...only FGN, NCC & MTN* know what they are doing. Moreover, I think FGN is still allowing MTN to operate in Nigeria because of the pact she has with Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa (BRICS).
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If I may ask Mam, when does the 10k unlimited subscription to the smile expires?
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Could you please read the article again? It is clearly spelt out there, even in the heading/title of my post. When we write that a service is monthly, the assumption is that provision of that service will expire after 30 days, unless renewed. Some companies stick to 28 days. So, reading the terms and conditions of a company is important. I haven't read the terms and conditions for smile communications Nigeria Limited ISP.
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Lol. How did you arrive at this conclusion? Do you have an accurate data tracking app that confirmed this? I've always heard of this, but I haven't really taken out time to verify its authenticity. Remember some opportunistic app run in phone's or PC's background siphoning data even when we are not browsing. Until I've verified this, I'll just stay on the fence on this one.
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Lmao don't just stay on the fence. Find out quickly. My phone tells me how each app on it consumes and the quantity. There have always being a clear difference in MTN comparing it to when I use 9mobile.
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I will check if I do decide to USE MTN
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Hi there @maryfavour well planning just as you have highlighted is the key in a country as capitalist as Nigeria. Data is costly, but yet we still gotta buy it
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@josediccus, welcome here.
It is my belief that we all agree that
However, I think Nigeria has a mixed economy, which is not exactly capitalist .
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Hi @maryfavour ma, Well true, but isnt it a fact that most things in Nigeria now is 90% privatized for individual purposes? I think thats the main reason things are expensive
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Interesting, i did not know that you can find smile i other states. I tot the subscription was in Abuja alone. Though i still don't live in the other states you mentioned but this is an interesting news for me because i can relocate if need be. Thanks for the information.
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I have been thinking of using smile this coming month. did not know much about its service. thanks for the info.
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Hello @maryfavour
Wow...! You have done well by not only revealing this unpopular but crucial service to Nigeria Steemians,you also gave a very good plan on how to save sbd in order to subscribe to the service without feeling it.
Thanks very much.
@eurogee
.
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I spend almost $20 dollars on data monthly and even then, I have to be careful with what I go through. The fact that I have no access to internet service while in my house also greatly reduces the amount of data. When I'm at home, I'm in a bunker. There are times when I go home late at night because I'm working on my posts and that is not safe for my life or devices in any way. The use of the smile data service would have been nice if it is available in Osun state.
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Hello @maryfavour
Thanks for looking into this impotant situation.
My dear country face great challenges in the area of data subscription couple with epileptic power supply while the resources to make life easy is not available for the low class. How i wish smile network could cover wild area. Thanks for the information.
@maintain4real-eu
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Glad that you are here, @maintain4real-eu.
Truth is that we can continue to wish that good things happen to us. It always better to be among those who make things happen. In this light, we could draft a letter to the management of smile company requesting for their service to be provided in other specific cities in Nigeria. Every Nigerian on the steem blockchain, who really needs this service should be prepared to sign their signatures. I believe that the more people indicate interest from other parts of Nigeria, the more smile company will consider providing the services for this class. Please, may I know where do you reside? Thank you for your comment too.
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Thanks for your response and positive view @maryfavour
I love this;
I believe with joint effort and commitment,what seems to be hard will be made possible. Thanks. I reside in Kogi State, Nigeria.
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Nice post ma but like @gloglo said, i do not live in the specified areas, is there any other way of getting it? Thanks for sharing
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Thank you, @adore-eu. Depending on profitability, security etc, I think smile would consider making other city residents smile. Please, read my response to @maintain4real-eu. That could be the first step to getting the service in your area. Cheers.
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this is really cool fore Nigerian people :)
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