New user Data consumption

M3 years ago

Hello I’m new into this... thanks to all who made this platform possible, I would like to run test before deployment as son as I get the equipment, but any of you know how much data does GPS use? I’m thinking using EMNify but when crunching numbers to provide tracking services it won’t work. Please, based on your experience with different manufacturers, brands and settings what’s the minimum data use per day/month ?

Thanks

Anton Tananaev3 years ago
Richard Acosta3 years ago

Data usage is negligible on GPS side.

Dibbs3 years ago

I don't think it's negligible - not if you are using Emnify.

I have one device that reports every 20s (to get clean lines on the map) and the vehicle is active for 8hrs a day and the usage is around 27MB per month.

Richard Acosta3 years ago

That's negligible.

Anton Tananaev3 years ago

That is not negligible if you are using an IoT SIM card, which is what this topic is about, as far as I understand.

Dibbs3 years ago

Emnify are IoT SIM cards - their base package SIM comes with something like 5MB data. You could easily have the monthly cost be triple of quadruple (or even greater) if you start reaching 30MB or so.

They also round to the nearest KB per session (iirc the max time limit for a session is 8hrs) but if your device closes sessions after each packet is sent (or shortly afterwards), your rounded up data consumption will be significantly higher.

Richard Acosta3 years ago

Ok, let's see.

IoT does not need a particular provider, so if one provider is expensive just switch provider.

I didn't know Emnify but it's pricing is crazy, and is not needded for IoT.
Emnify is 0.2 USD for each 0.25MB (1/4 MEGABYTE)
We have quite expensive services, but we pay UYU 1.08/MB and roaming is UYU 2.00/MB (USD 0.047)
Chips cost USD 1.50~2.00 + USD 4 for activation with 200MB package for 2 months.

Forget that service.
It would be cheaper to use several devices each with a chip for each country or plain and simple enable roaming using only one.

For personal use (family track your travel or plain security for your vehicle on foreign lands) change chips on each border (or use roaming) they cost almost nothing and for such data usage prepaid service is not much more.

For enterprise usage, close your company if you can't afford roaming rates for a vehicle that will use that 10 times on fuel/mile.

Dibbs3 years ago

I think everyone has their own opinion\viewpoint.

For hidden\covert trackers that are fitted in such a manner as not to be found easily - certainly something that is done for vehicles, changing SIM cards at each border is simply not something that can be done. So if one provider is expensive - simply switching isn't simple.

Again - fitting multiple devices may also not be possible. An example being a motorcycle where space is at a premium.

Enterprise usage - it's usually the customers who are enterprise and will try to negotiate prices downwards and if you as the supplier are left with little to no profit, that's not a good place to be.

I think you need to accept that pricing around the world is different and what may be available in one country\region simply isn't available in another.

Emnify in the UK is $1.4 USD per month which includes 5MB with every additional MB charged at around $0.13USD. Looking at other European providers, it's a similar story, the only exception being that some allow pooling\aggregating of usage between multiple SIMs on an account.

The original poster asked

Please, based on your experience with different manufacturers, brands and settings what’s the minimum data use per >day/month ?

It's better we answer the person's question, if we can - rather than answering one's he\she didn't actually ask.

Let's not turn this into a pissing contest please.

Richard Acosta3 years ago

Emnify is a steal, plain and simple.
Using a standard chip from any company with enabled roaming will be 10~20 times cheaper.
No need to isntall several devices, nor chip swapping.
And no need to worry about usage. (question answered)

If using a motorcycle, you are on your own vehicle, accessing the device will be easy, so there's no need to use several devices and you can easily swap chips at borders/motels/camping/etc...
There's no need to use Emnify, nor a chip with roaming enabled.
And no need to worry about usage. (question answered)

Fiting the device in such a manner as not to be found easily does not mean it can't be accessed easily.

And the fact that there's services not available on some regions is what makes Emnify a steal, because they are chargin most of the users higher to cover a small ammount of them needing special services.
In such case, using 2 devices will be enough to still keep avoiding Emnify, and 2 devices can be installed on any motorcycle.
And no need to worry about usage. (question answered)