cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
1

Ask

2

Reply

3

Solution

Sure Signal - increased bills?

wylde
2: Seeker
2: Seeker

We have a very intermittent signal and I have been considering getting Sure Signal, but I heard on Radio 4 recently that users of Sure Signal can get much higher bills due to background data activity, eg software updates, being charged to their bills. Has anyone experienced this?

4 REPLIES 4

drey_p
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

Hi there

 

If you have better signal it will mean that your smartphone is able to do what it is supposed to do more easily - update itself in the background.  This will automatically happen whether you are in an area with near perfect signal or in an area with poor signal but are connected to a SureSignal device. There won't be any difference in the amount of data used in the 2 areas - you aren't going to use more data being connected to a SureSignal compared to having near perfect signal.

 

If you are worried about that, you can turn off your mobile data and only use WiFi at home.  That will ensure that your phone isn't using up your mobile data plan. You can also modify how often the Apps sync as this will affect the amount of data used.

PWIAC

The Radio 4 item did cover your points. The increased bills were triggered not by increased amount of data, which is unaffected, but simply because it was being re-transmitted by Sure Signal.

 

Vodafone said they were aware of the problem. The patch solution suggested was the same a yours i.e. to switch off mobile data at home, but I know my kids will not remember to do this.

 

I am just trying to guage how common this problem is.

drey_p
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member

I am not sure that I'm understanding what you're getting at.

 

If you connect to the Sure Signal device, you're effectively connecting to your own private transmitter in a similar way to connecting to any other Vodafone transmitter.  Whether you use data on the Sure Signal or directly from the Vodafone network, it still comes out of your allowance. 

 

Having better signal will mean that you can use up your allowance more quickly. 

 

Are you saying that using a Sure Signal will use up more data than performing the same tasks directly on the network?  

PWIAC

GojuSuzi
16: Advanced member
16: Advanced member
Unless they mean the ISP's bills. Some broadband lines have a capped amount of data you can use, and obviously the Sure Signal eats into this, increasing the risk of going over the cap and incurring penalties. It's worth checking if yours has a cap, or if it's unlimited if there's a 'fair usage' stealth-cap.