Johannesburg - There was huge excitement on Friday when it looked like MTN was slashing its data prices.
However, the hype was just PR spin to promote a Touch Central and MTN data deal.
Tbo Touch, whose real name is Thabo Molefe, called their big announcement #DataFalling, but in fact MTN later said it had been selling 1GB bundles for R65 for some time. It wasn’t anything new.
Tbo Touch is also the man behind the #DataMustFall campaign.
Consumers have long complained about high data prices and welcomed the #DataMustFall movement when it started.
This even provoked Parliament’s portfolio committee on telecoms and postal services in September to give the major cellphone networks targets to trim data costs.
Twitter users met Molefe’s announcement with criticism after realising the data prices that looked like bargains were only for night express deals.
Twitter went from #DataMustFall, #DataFalling to #TboTouchMustFall so quick 😂 pic.twitter.com/BG2TfzzPTi
— Karabo Mokgoko (@Karabo_Mokgoko) November 18, 2016
#MTN Data prices haven't fallen, the prices haven't even been decolonized! This noise about #DataFalling is #SubliminalMindCapture!
— Brenda Wardle (@BrendaWardle) November 18, 2016
Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
Tbo Touch sold us out for a MEGA deal with MTN
Touch is the Judas of #dataMUSTfall #Datafalling
— Sharon✌ (@LadyCharlotte01) November 18, 2016
Dear Mobile Networks: Humans are not nocturnal. In our nature, at night we SLEEP. Niyezwa? #DataFalling pic.twitter.com/63RGakeY28
— 🌻 Makeda 🌻 (@LuluGeez) November 18, 2016
Hey Vodacom... look what the other kids are getting 😒 #datafalling
— Creep (@NdumisoShouts) November 18, 2016
Earlier in the week the Free Market Foundation (FMF) said a proper analysis needed to be done about data costs.
“We all want cheap and free data but we need to be suspicious of undisclosed agendas gullible experts and an unconvincing industry response” said FMF’s Leon Louw during a press briefing he gave in Bryanston.
Information technology expert Arthur Goldstuck said lower price plans on data are not connected to the #DataMustFall movement.
He added that he did not see service providers lowering their prices any time soon.
Overall, all three major service providers - MTN, Vodacom and Cell C - have created new packages but consumers have complained that the deals don’t offer anything that amounts to real cost savings.
Saturday Star