What are Data Plans? 5 Best Strategies for your Next Purchase
Access to the internet is a necessity, and without a data plan, the internet would be far from reach. The internet seamlessly integrates with over 5 billion devices and users across the globe.
Securing a reliable and cheap data plan is essential whether you are working from home, watching your favorite shows, or scrolling through your social media accounts.
In one of our previous articles, we described 7 practices that can help prevent overage data charges, along with explaining what takes place before your device can connect to the internet.
This article will explain the different types of data plans available, how to select a plan that fulfills your requirements, and give a full overview of what a data plan is..
What are Data Plans?
Data plans are subscriptions made available to clients by mobile network operators and ISPs (Internet Service Providers) that facilitate access to the internet and enable the use of applications on mobile devices.
These plans come with a specific allocation of data, often measured in gigabytes (GB) or megabytes (MB), which can be used for web browsing, content streaming, social media interaction, and many other online activities.
Types of Data Plans
The following are the types of data plans available in the telecom market. We will explained each of them with examples.
- Prepaid Data Plans
- Postpaid Data Plans
- Unlimited Data Plans
- Family Data Plans
1. Prepaid Data Plans
Service providers allocate pre-determined bundles that users must purchase at a fixed price, these are known as prepaid data bundles. These plans allow one to purchase a fixed amount of data and are very popular because of their flexibility and the lack of long term contracts.
They are ranked at number one as the most purchased Data plans in the market. If a user runs out of data, they can top up at any time which makes these plans great for those looking to save money.
Types of Prepaid Data Plans
Several different kinds of prepaid data plans are offered in the telecom industry but we will discuss 4 types only. Below are the four…
- Data-only plans
- Combo plans
- Social Bundles
- SME Bundles
Plans That Are Data Only
These plans only cater to data consuming apps, meaning voice and text features are restricted. They are common for tablets, mobile hotspots, and other data-only devices such as Mifi or Router.
The table below provides examples of data only plans for Nigerians, their prices ranging from as low as fifty naira to one hundred thousand. These prices are applicable to all telco companies in Nigeria. Please note that each telco company has its unique data allocation and prices for its customers.
Unlike other Nigerian telecommunication network providers, GLO’s data bundles are divided into two categories: day and night. For example, if you purchase 1.8GB of GLO data for N500, you can browse during the day while 1GB is only available from midnight (12 AM) to 5 AM.
Airtel Bundles for mobile Devices
| Validity (Days) | Amount | Data Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | N50 | 40MB |
| 1 | N100 | 100MB |
| 1 | N300 | 1GB |
| 1 | N500 | 2GB |
| 3 | N200 | 200MB |
| 7 | N300 | 750MB |
| 7 | N500 | 1GB |
| 7 | N1500 | 6GB |
| 14 | N500 | 750MB |
| 30 | N1000 | 1.5GB |
| 30 | N1200 | 2GB |
| 30 | N1500 | 3GB |
| 30 | N2000 | 4.5GB |
| 30 | N2500 | 6GB |
| 30 | N3000 | 10GB |
| 30 | N4000 | 11GB |
| 30 | N5000 | 20GB |
| 30 | N8000 | 30GB |
| 30 | N10,000 | 40GB |
| 30 | N15,000 | 75GB |
| 30 | N22,000 | 120GB |
| 30 | N33,000 | 240GB |
| 30 | N39,600 | 280GB |
| 90 | N50,000 | 400GB |
| 120 | N60,000 | 500GB |
| 365 | N100,000 | 1TB |
MTN Mobile Data Bundles
| Validity (Days) | Amount | Data Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | N50 | 40MB |
| 1 | N100 | 100MB |
| 1 | N300 | 1GB |
| 2 | N500 | 2GB |
| 3 | N200 | 200MB |
| 7 | N1500 | 6GB |
| 30 | N1000 | 1.5GB |
| 30 | N1200 | 2GB |
| 30 | N1500 | 3GB |
| 30 | N2000 | 4.5GB |
| 30 | N2500 | 6GB |
| 30 | N3500 | 12GB |
| 30 | N5000 | 20GB |
| 30 | N6000 | 25GB |
| 30 | N10,000 | 40GB |
| 30 | N15,000 | 75GB |
| 30 | N20,000 | 120GB |
| 30 | N30,000 | 200GB |
| 60 | N8000 | 30GB |
| 60 | N22,000 | 109GB |
| 60 | N33,000 | 160GB |
| 90 | N50,000 | 400GB |
| 90 | N75,000 | 600GB |
9mobile Data Only Bundles
| Validity(Days) | Amount | Data Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | N50 | 25MB |
| 1 | N100 | 100MB |
| 2 | N200 | 200MB |
| 7 | N1500 | 7GB |
| 30 | N500 | 500MB |
| 30 | N1000 | 1.5GB |
| 30 | N1200 | 2GB |
| 30 | N2000 | 4.5GB |
| 30 | N4000 | 11GB |
| 30 | N5000 | 15GB |
| 30 | N10,000 | 40GB |
| 30 | N15,000 | 75GB |
| 60 | N30,000 | 225GB |
| 90 | N25,000 | 75GB |
| 90 | N50,000 | 425GB |
| 180 | N50,000 | 165GB |
| 100 | N84,992 | 100GB |
| 365 | N100,000 | 365GB |
Glo Data Bundles
| Validity(Days) | Amount | Data Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | N50 | 50MB/5MB night plan |
| 1 | N100 | 150MB/35MB night plan |
| 2 | N200 | 350MB/110 night plan |
| 14 | N500 | 1.8GB/1GB night plan |
| 30 | N1000 | 3.9GB/2GB night plan |
| 30 | N1500 | 7.5GB/4GB night plan |
| 30 | N2000 | 9.2GB/4GB night plan |
| 30 | N2500 | 10.8GB/4GB night plan |
| 30 | N3000 | 14GB/4GB night plan |
| 30 | N4000 | 18GB/4GB night plan |
| 30 | N5000 | 24GB/4GB night plan |
| 30 | N8000 | 29.5GB/2GB night plan |
| 30 | N10,000 | 50GB/4GB night plan |
| 30 | N15,000 | 93GB/7GN night plan |
| 30 | N18,000 | 119GB/10GB night plan |
| 30 | N20,000 | 138GB/12GB night plan |
| 30 | N30,000 | 225GB |
| 30 | N36,000 | 300GB |
| 90 | N50,000 | 425G |
| 120 | N60,000 | 525GB |
| 120 | N75,000 | 675GB |
| 364 | N100,000 | 1TB |
** The table examples above only contain outdated data price tags of the named companies, there have been a recent hike in price of Data bundles.
Combo Plans
Airtel, 9mobile and Globacom refer to combo or cumulative data plans as data+ or voice + bundles and More Flex or Super Value Pack.
These are mobile telephone plans known for including multiple services, such as voice minutes, data and even a certain number of texts if applicable, in a single plan.
Unlike other plans, these ones are easy to use and economical too since the services don’t have to be acquired individually.
See examples in the table below!
| Price | Combo Pack (Voice) | Combo Pack (Data) | Days Valid | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airtel | ₦500 | ₦2500 | 100MB | 7 |
| GLO | ₦1000 | ₦2000 | 1.25GB | 30 |
| 9mobile | ₦1000 | ₦2000 | 1.5GB | 14 |
| MTN | ₦500 | 25minutes | 1.5GB | 7 |
Some Combo plans are different from the others. For instance, some may have a relatively higher data ceiling than voice or the vice versa.
Social Bundles
Social bundles are data packages created by telecommunications companies for social media applications.
These packages usually include access to the major social media platforms and apps, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, and even Snapchat for a cheaper rate or as an extension of an already existing mobile plan. Users are able to use these platforms without their data limitations.
| Network | Social Bundles | Validity (Days) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9mobile | 500MB | 30 | ₦400 |
| MTN | 1GB | 30 | ₦250 |
| Airtel | 700MB | 25 | ₦300 |
| GLO | 500MB | 30 | ₦100 |
Small & Medium Enterprise (SME)
SME bundle is a specific bundle of data categorized and issued by a telecommunications or Internet service provider for the Small and Medium Enterprises sector.
These business bundles are designed to fit the needs of businesses in terms of data, coverage, and price. SME bundles can be purchased via third party VTU apps or directly from your ISP.
2. Postpaid Data Plans
Postpaid plans have a subscription charge that is billed monthly and comes with a specified amount of data. Customers are billed after using their data, which renews on a monthly basis.
Compared to prepaid plans, these plans generally have lower rates for additional data, making them ideal for frequent data users.
3. Unlimited Plans
As the term suggests, unlimited data plans provide unlimited usage of data. This means that there is no limit to how much data a person can use.
However, there may be certain policies that slow down the data speeds after a certain limit is reached. These plans work best for users who need lots of data and a stable connection.
4. Family Plans
Family plans permit several users from the same household to share a designated data limit. This is convenient for families because several smartphones or devices can be pooled together.
Factors To Consider Before Getting A Mobile Data Plan
You do not just subscribe to a data bundle without any thought. You first sit down and think of how best to select plans that fit your style. Below are the factors you should consider before getting a data plan…
Data Allocation/Allowance: Gauge your data usage. Users that know they do not use the internet much will be more satisfied with small data plans and those who constantly use the internet will be better off with unlimited or high capacity plans.
Contract Type: Figure out if you prefer using a prepaid plan and you do not want to commit to anything long-term or if you would rather have a post-paid plan where you are billed once a month.
Coverage: It is very important to check for Network coverage in area you live in. This is especially useful if you rely on internet for work and other purposes.
Pricing: Compare price plans, including monthly charges, overages, and any add-ons such as international roaming or tethering.
Add-Ons: Add-ons are offered by a few Network providers like free subscription for streaming, or data rollover. Decide these add-ons according to your needs.
Wrapping Up
Data plans are the gateway to the digital world, providing us with access to information, entertainment, and communication. To get the best out of your online experience, it is essential to choose a data plan based on your usage habits and budget.
If you consider the above factors in this article such as data allowance, type of data purchased, network coverage, and the rest, you can get the perfect plan to keep you connected in our data age.
Remember, the perfect data plan not only saves you money but also enhances your digital lifestyle.
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