Since the internet has become part of our daily routine, we are always looking to find great deals in order to save our coins. Safaricom offers a number of internet plans each meant to suit different customer needs. The different options are there to also ensure that customers get value for their money. However, all these options can be a little confusing. Let us break them down.
Safaricom offers customers access to a 4G network to cut out the nuisance caused by slow internet speeds. With 4G your gaming experience, downloads, streaming or browsing is five times faster. All you need to get a 4G line is to go to Safaricom shop and have your SIM card upgraded. The data bundles offered for 4G include;
- Weekly bundles ranging from 5MB at Kshs 5 to 200MB at Kshs 99
- Monthly bundles ranging from 350MB at Kshs 250 to 12GB at Kshs 3,000
- 90 Day Bundles ranging from 6GB at Kshs 3,000 to 30GB at Kshs 9,000.
Safaricom 4G is available in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Meru, Eldoret, Kisii, Nakuru. You can also access unlimited 4G data at either Kshs 100 for 3 hours or Kshs 300 for 24 hours.
Blaze Data
The Blaze Data Plans was set up to cater to youth between the ages of 18-26. Anyone below the age of 18 can register using the stipulated means. Since the youth is the target audience, the data prices are friendlier. You can register or access the bundles by dialling *555# or access your account through the mySafaricom App. Blaze offers the following options;
- Hero bundles ranging from 20MB and 20SMS at Kshs 10 to 175MB and 175SMS at Kshs 50. There is also a monthly bundle of 4GB and 4000SMS at Kshs 1000
- Power hour bundle of 150MB at Kshs 19 from 10pm-7pm.
- You can also create your own plan by inputting how much money you want to use then adjusting your minutes, data and talk time however you wish.
After using the Blaze platform on the mySafaricom App, you earn points which you can redeem at ColdStone, Anga Cinema, Bata or redeem for airtime and smartphones.
Flex
This internet plan is the most flexible of all hence the name. Flex units were designed to cater to the needs of customers who need to balance their talk time, SMS and data all from one option. The flex units’ charges range from;
- Daily flex units ranging from 50units at Kshs 50 and 115 units at Kshs 99
- 7-day flex units of 500units for Kshs 799
- Monthly flex units ranging from 1100 units at Kshs 999 to 3,100 units at Kshs 2,499
Once you have that in mind, know that 1 FLEX UNIT is equal to either 20 seconds talk time, 3MB or 3 text messages.
Safaricom Fibre to Business
One of the most important things when running a business is having internet connectivity. Safaricom Fibre to Business is an internet plan for small to medium-sized businesses. It provides 4 packages to cater to different numbers in the workforce and internet requirements. The package charges go for:
- 5MBps suitable for 1-10 users at Kshs 4,999
- 10MBps suitable 11-20 users at Kshs 9,999
- 15MBps suitable for 15-30 users at Kshs 14,999
- 20MBps suitable for 31-40 users at Kshs 19,999
You can register for the service by filling a Safaricom Fibre for Business Application in any Safaricom Shop then making the required payments.
Safaricom Fibre to Home
Sometimes we need to enjoy an internet connection without worrying whether the data will run out. Safaricom Fibre to Home offers unlimited internet in the comfort of your home. With these, you can comfortably work from home and also stream shows and movies on your internet connected device. The packages offered for this internet plan to be renewed on a monthly basis include;
- Speeds of 5MBps at Kshs 2500
- 10Mpbs at Kshs 3,499
- 20MBps at Kshs 4,999
- 40MBps at Kshs 9,999
To check if the service is available in your location, send a message with Fibre along with your location. For example ‘FIBRE Kasarani’ to the code 400. Safaricom offers a router and free installation.
Safaricom Home Bundles
You can easily confuse this with the Safaricom Fibre to Home. However, these bundles are designed to suit the customers with the Safaricom internet-enabled digital TV decoders. The data charges include the Easy30 bundle for 30GB at Kshs 3,500 which lasts for 30 days and Easy50 bundle for 50GB at Kshs 6,000 for 45 days. Customers who have the Safaricom BigBox can buy monthly income home bundles of 15GB at Kshs 3,199 or the 5GB at Kshs 1,199.
Tunukiwa Bundles
This option was released during the ‘Shinda Mamili na Tunukiwa’. Tunukiwa bundles are a customized service and change on a daily basis. This means that the offers are different for every customer because they are a loyalty based service. All offers last between 1 hour to 24 hours. Apart from providing data offers. You can also access talk time and SMS offers.
Giga Bundles
The recently released promotion allows customers to buy bulk data at affordable rates. The two Giga bundles are; 1GB at Kshs 99 valid for 24 hours and 10GB at Kshs 999 valid for 7 days.
Here are some data saving hacks you should use
However, when it comes to enjoying your data, it is not enough to just buy it, you must know how best to take care of it. So if you feel like you have been depleting your data in mere minutes, here are a couple of hacks you can try.
Track your data usage– To track your data, download the mySafaricom App, register and click on the data usage icon. Here you will be able to identify data sucking applications thus you can decide how much time you want to be spending on them.
Restrict Background Data– Some applications on your phone use a lot of data while running in the background. So when you check your data usage you may be shocked by the data usage on some apps. On the settings option on your phone, restrict background data for your applications. However, ensure that you do not restrict background data for applications that you need frequent notifications from.
Update applications over WIFI-Updating applications take up a lot of data. Ensure that you have set your applications to download over WIFI or when you need them to.
Check your video streaming settings– With a great internet connection, a video streams at the greatest possible resolution. If you are trying to save data, set your streaming settings to a lower resolution. Additionally, a still motion video uses as much data as a normal video. So if you are interested in the audio rather than the video, set it the lowest resolution possible since that does not affect audio quality. You can also download videos when you have access to WIFI to watch them offline later.
Check your Apps- Some applications like Google Photos sync pictures in the background which uses up your data, To save data, you can set your phone to sync only over WIFI. For Google Maps, you can download maps for places you frequent. This way you do not have to load the map every time. This also helps when you are in areas with low connectivity.
Use data compression when browsing– Internet browsing applications like Chrome and Firefox offer data compression services. Once you turn on the ‘reduce data usage’ option. The Google Servers then compress web results before relaying it to your phone without loss of quality.
Set a data limit– On your settings panel you can set a data limit and warning to ensure you do not use all your data. Once you get to the limit you have set, your phone notifies you and it is up to you to either continue using your data or otherwise.
Download large files over WIFI– Unless you really have to, avoid downloading large files using your data. Set your phone to download large files over WIFI. Additionally, turn off the auto download on applications where you receive files often. This way, you get to decide which files you wish to download rather than having a bunch of videos or pictures you do not want using up your data.
Now that you have access to data, Safaricom and Showmax have a promotion where you can get 3 months of Showmax for Ksh. 250. Here are a few shows you can check out 14 Shows That Are Perfect For Binge Watching On Showmax
