But like people are adaptive.. hence move to remote work in the first place… I am skeptical that schools and classes don’t have email communication & everybody is just running around helpless without WhatsApp
I came to Ghana and most things are tied to whatapp , Facebook or one of the phone services like MTN.
Bruh they order food on whatapp and Facebook.
The universities have been trying stuff like Google classroom but it doesn't work since whatapp requires far less stable internet access than Google classroom.
Even the shittiest internet connect can still receive messages.
I'm American and for a while now sms wasn't anything I considered to be an issue.
Come to Ghana a good chunk of the time it don't work or they charge up the ass for every message and picture
I guess my main question is, why do the cell providers charge so much more for SMS and calling than mobile data? Or do they also charge exorbitant prices for data, and people primarily rely on wifi?
If the cost of call/text is so high relative to data... Why? Its nonsensical, as standard calling and sms uses way cheaper equipment and less bandwidth.
If they all cost an arm and a leg regardless, then obviously relying on wifi is the default and messaging apps like whatsapp are the preferred option, leaving one common system to monopolize the market.
They get a deal with Facebook, charge stupid prices for tiny amounts of data that usually has an expiration date of anywhere between 1 Hour to a month and have special deals to corner the market because there really isn't competition.
Vodafone is a foreign company and mtn is a foreign company airteltigo is a foreign company as well and Vodafone and mtn is what the mass majority of users use.
And there is no real chance of competition in sight, so in order to get the people who might be better off just not using internet or just sending letters or email they give out whatsapp for free and make money from the traffic from that.
Also its not wifi they rely on as that's not common, it's the phone dats they use mostly.
Free wifi is really only found is richer areas in the capital city and the old capital city, everywhere else wifi is scarce and if you want it you'll be paying the equivalent of $80-100 which is well beyond most people and it's just the same phone companies as before change the same phone prices everywhere outside of the capitals.
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u/Former_Possibility_9 Mar 16 '23
But like people are adaptive.. hence move to remote work in the first place… I am skeptical that schools and classes don’t have email communication & everybody is just running around helpless without WhatsApp