Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Tanzania normally offer their services based on one of 2 criteria; usage amount or bandwidth. Some might split their internet services for Residential vs Commercial users.
It’s easy for people to understand when the internet packages are split based on usage. Once your data package is finished, the service continues at a lower guaranteed speed with reference to the package you have subscribed to. Additionally, we provide an options of topping up your data package at a rate of 2,000 Tzs per GB (Exclusive of Taxes).
What confuses many is understanding bandwidth. Is 1Mbps good enough for your home/office or do you need 10 Mbps? What’s the difference between the two? Which one works best with your internet habits?
We aim to explain bandwidth, what it means and what speed works best for what scenario.
Bandwidth is a technical way of referring to internet package speed. It represents the amount of data that can be uploaded and downloaded in a second.
The general metric used to measure internet speed by most ISPs is Mbps. The higher the Mbps number, the faster your internet is going to be.
Of course, there are other factors that will affect how fast your internet package is going to be such as the number of users, the tasks being performed over the internet (streaming or video conferencing will consume more data than viewing emails and websites), and more.
Now that you understand what bandwidth is and how it works, let’s have a look at what internet package works best for you. To make it easier for you, we’re going to use our own internet packages as examples.
We believe this will make your purchase decision easier. The last thing you want is to get an internet package that doesn’t meet your online requirements.
This works best for one to three-person households. This internet package has a 25 GB usage limit and a bandwidth of up to 10 Mbps. This package is suitable for very basic tasks such as email reading and browsing.
This is best suited for residential homes and small businesses with no more than 5 users. This package has a 50 GB usage limit and a bandwidth of up to 10 Mbps. Basic browsing, social media browsing, and standard-quality streaming (480p).
This package may not be appropriate for concurrently heavy internet users, Having said that, it might still work for your home/business. This package is available to small businesses and residential homes with 5 or more occupants.
The usage limit is 100 GB, with a maximum internet speed of 10 Mbps. As long as the internet isn’t used for data-intensive tasks, this package should be sufficient. With this speed, you can do basic web browsing, high-definition (720p) streaming, and email. It can also support your online gaming and video conferencing needs.
The package has a limit of 150 GB and bandwidth of up to 20 Mbps. With this, you can do normal day-to-day tasks like browsing the web and viewing emails, as well as more intensive tasks like video streaming in Full High Definition (1080p), online gaming, and video conferencing. The package’s higher usage limit provides more wiggle room as well.
The premium package includes a usage limit of 250 GB and an internet speed of up to 20 Mbps. This package is more inclined to small to medium-sized businesses. The internet speed in this package allows you to run multiple online gaming streams, download large files, and stream in Ulta High Definition (4K) in addition to the usual web browsing, multiple simultaneous video conference calls, and email viewing.
We may be biased, but 300 GB is a little excessive for residential users. This package may be suitable for more than 10-15 multiple concurrent high-volume internet users. It can also provide internet speeds of up to 20 Mbps. The usage limits allow for data-intensive tasks, and with the internet speed available, you can stream in Ultra High Definition (4K), use multiple video conferencing lines, perform cloud backups, and upload large files without issue, among other things.
Our Blink expert team is always open for a consultation to help you get a package that meets your residential/business needs. Feel free to get in touch with us and we’ll answer any questions that you might have.