MTN South Africa is going uncapped – not on fibre, but on its wireless network, launching uncapped fixed-LTE plans starting at R499/month in a challenge to rival Rain.

The speed-based fixed-LTE plans will offer customers a “bottomless data experience”, MTN said, though they do include a fair-use policy. The plans are month to month, though 24-month contracts are available, too, if a “free” router is bundled in.

“This will be the first time in the history of mobile that an uncapped home connectivity solution is offered whereby customers can choose their preferred speeds,” the company claimed in a statement on Thursday.

The deals are:

Uncapped data at R499 at 10Mbit/s with an FUP of 400GB;
Uncapped data at R699 at 20Mbit/s with an FUP of 600GB; and
Uncapped data at R799 at 30Mbit/s with a FUP of 700GB.

In terms of the FUP, when the usage policy limit is reached, the speed will be reduced to either 2Mbit/s or 4Mbit/s, depending on the price plan the customer has subscribed to, MTN said.

“Customers have a choice of a 24-month contract with a free router or may opt for a month-to-month payment option by either bringing their own qualifying router or purchasing one upfront through any of our sales touchpoints.”

By way of comparison, Rain offers an “unlimited home 5G basic” plan, with speeds of up to 25Mbit/s, for R499/month. For up to 50Mbit/s speeds, it’s R699/month, while a faster, premium service costs R999/month. All plans come with a 5G router and are month to month. Rain’s 4G plans include a R479 unlimited deal for use on any device, or R299 for a phone-only plan.