Which Latest Data Plan Works Best For Heavy-Duty Data Users?
Also, a breakdown of each plan's perks and limitations.
By John Lim — 15 Mar 2016, 05:25 PM
Choosing a suitable data plan can be pretty confusing given the many considerations and options available in the market. With telcos constantly updating their plans, playing catch up could be quite a tedious task too.
But first, what separates a heavy Internet user from a casual Internet user?
A heavy Internet user is someone who uses a lot of Internet bandwidth. They also engage in a lot of online activity like watching videos, music streaming and chatting. In short, heavy Internet user could be someone who's constantly online.
Many heavy Internet users find themselves utilising the hotspot feature whenever there's no Wi-Fi connectivity. Due to the nature of their usage, these users often subscribe to telco plans with more mobile data.
How much data can a heavy Internet user consume?
A heavy Internet user can use up to 10GB of data in a month. For example, watching YouTube videos at 1080p for an hour could take up to 1.2 to 1.4GB of data. While streaming apps like Spotify can burn through nearly 1GB for one whole night of music streaming.
Social media apps like Facebook can also chew up to hundreds of MB in a month. This is just for day's usage, imagine how much data will be used in a month's time!
Here we select four of the latest data plans from major telcos like Celcom, Maxis, Digi and U Mobile. Read on to find out which telco plan suits you best as a heavy data user:
1. Celcom FIRST GOLD
Launch date: February 2016.
Monthly rate: RM80/month.
Perks: 10GB of mobile data (5GB Monthly Internet + 5GB Weekend Internet), 5GB of complimentary WiFiPlus (WiFiPlus is a wireless Internet facility offered by Celcom to all new/existing Celcom customers which will allow them to get hassle-free Wi-Fi service at selected public areas), unlimited calls and SMS to all networks. Users can also bring forward any unused data (up to 5GB) to the next month.
Data top up rate: RM20 for 1GB.
Limitations: The 10GB mobile data is split up - 5GB is for monthly quota and 5GB is specifically for weekends. The weekend allocation is divided into 1.25GB to be shared out over Saturday and Sunday.
Recommended for: Users with heavy data usage. With only RM80/month for 10GB, Celcom's FIRST GOLD plan offers the best bang for your buck, especially for heavy users who frequently find themselves running out of data. If 10GB is not enough, Celcom allows users to easily top up with just RM20 per month with Max Up, which is pretty reasonable.
For more details about the Celcom FIRST GOLD plan, check out the official website here.
2. Digi Postpaid 98
Launch date: September 2015.
Monthy rate: RM78/month.
Perks: 7GB of mobile data, unlimited calls and SMS to 3 friends that are on Digi's network. Enjoy 12 months of iFlix for free, 300GB worth of free storage on Capture (Capture is a cloud app catered to saving photos and videos on the go) and free 120 days of Digi Music Freedom. Users can also bring forward any unused date (up to 2GB) to the next month.
Data top up rate: RM8 for 1GB (last for only 2 days).
Limitations: Although Digi offers free SMSes, it is only applicable to fellow Digi users. Aside from that, the top up only lasts for 2 days - which means users would either have to use up the 1GB in 2 days, or it would go to waste.
Recommended for: Users with moderate data usage. Digi is currently running a promo for its Digi Postpaid 98 plan till the end of June 2016. Instead of paying for RM98/month, users will be able to enjoy RM78/month. With that said, 7GB is more than enough for casual browsing and frequenting social media apps like Facebook and Twitter.
For more details about the Digi Postpaid 98 plan, check out the official website here.
3. MaxisONE 98
Launch date: August 2015.
Monthly rate: RM98/month.
Perks: 1GB of mobile data, unlimited calls and SMS to all networks. RM20 rebate for home fibre Internet installation.
Data top up rate: RM30 for 1GB, RM20 for 500MB and RM10 for 200MB.
Limitations: The MaxisONE 98 plan is on the pricier side as compared to other telco plans. In addition to that, the mobile data is also significantly less, with RM98/month for only 1GB. Data top up is also on the high side - RM30 for just 1GB.
Recommended for: Low data users who prefer to have more call time. 1GB isn't much to work with these days, considering how everyone is connected to the Internet. However, Maxis compensates the lack of data for unlimited free calls and SMS to all networks.
For more details about the MaxisONE 98 plan, check out the official website here.
4. U Mobile Hero P70
Launch date: August 2015.
Monthly rate: RM70/month.
Perks: 7GB of mobile data, unlimited calls to all networks. Free Youtube and Tonton streaming, as well as free music streaming on KKBox. U Mobile also offers free 50MB data roaming daily for selected countries.
Data top up rate: RM10 for 1.5GB (lasts for only 3 days).
Limitations: Unlike other telco plans, U Mobile does not offer free SMSes. Texting to a fellow U Mobile user will cost 3 cents, while for other users with other networks, it's 8 cents per SMS.
Recommended for: Users with moderate data usage. Very much similar to Digi's plan, this plan offers 7GB of monthly data and unlimited calls. The cheapest among other telco plans, U Mobile's Hero P70 offers a straightforward option for the casual user.
For more details about U Mobile's Hero P70, check out their official website here.