What is the difference between Capped and Uncapped internet? Let’s get straight into it, fam.
Capped Internet
Capped internet refers to a data package where you buy a set quantity of GB’s in bandwidth every month. How quickly you use up your bandwidth is up to you. Your GB are allocated to you on the first of the month, every month, and if you use them all they will be finished and your connection will stop. If you finish your bandwidth before the end of the month you can “top up” or buy additional bandwidth to keep you online. If you don’t use all of your bandwidth in a month your leftover GB may “roll over” to the next month, depending on the specifications of the package you’re on. Usually, GB won’t carry over for more than one month.
Uncapped Internet
Uncapped internet refers to an internet package where you never run out of GB. You have unlimited GB to use at your discretion. With most of Webafrica’s packages, this uncapped service is entirely unshaped and there is no FUP (Fair Usage Policy) applied to it – which means that you enjoy full internet speeds all the time. Only our Openserve packages currently carry a FUP. If your account does have a FUP, this means you can use a certain pre-determined “fair” amount of bandwidth in a 30-day period. If you exceed this fair amount, your connection will be shaped, or slowed down, in order to protect the usage needs of other network users who have not yet reached their FUP. The FUP is determined on a rolling 30-day window, not month-by-month, so the only way to increase your speeds again is to reduce your internet use for long enough to bring it back within your FUP range.
Speed Differences between Capped and Uncapped Internet
Capped accounts and uncapped accounts differ in other ways, too.
Generally, uncapped services run off a higher ‘contention ratio’ than capped accounts.
Contention Ratio Defined:
The contention ratio is the potential maximum demand on actual bandwidth. Essentially, it comes down to the number of users allocated to share a certain amount of bandwidth or a certain portion of the network. Uncapped accounts have a higher available amount of bandwidth to share among users, than capped accounts users.
Or to put it another way, fewer users to a certain amount of bandwidth.
In the case of some ISPs, the bandwidth is further shaped to allocate certain amounts of bandwidth to certain usuage channels. For example, they might give priority bandwidth to streaming services during family viewing time, or to VoIP services during business hours. However, Webafrica does not shape or prioritize your data. Your Webafrica internet is entirely unshaped. How you choose to use your bandwidth is up to you.The only potentially limiting factor on your speeds with Webafrica is your FUP status.
Then it comes down to your line speed and internet technology. Remember, your fastest, most reliable internet is Fibre. If you’re looking for the option which gives you the highest speeds with the least (if any) connectivity issues and zero restrictions, then you need a Webafrica Fibre line.
Choosing a Fibre Line Speed to Suit Your Needs:
Please note: All Webafrica deals and packages are subject to change without notification. These include our terms and conditions as it relates to costs and deal/package structures for all of our service providers.
