Android Question MQTT Cellphone Network cost

[Josias]

Hi All,

I've implemented a simple MQTT messaging system. with a B4J producer app and an Android consumer app to notify the user of an event.
Just for the record. It is exceptionally simple to get it going. Thnx to all who contributed to the libraries.

Does anyone know how the mobile operators calculate data usage when MQTT messages are sent/received?
Let's assume that the topic + payload is less than 250 bytes.
Is there any cost involved while my mobile phone is connected to the broker?
Any other considerations or things that I should be ware of to limit the possibility of using excessive amounts of data?

Thnx for reading this and may 2020 be an amazing year. Keep up the good work!

 

[DonManfred]

Is there any cost involved while my mobile phone is connected to the broker?

It uses Networktraffic. If you have a plan with unlimited traffic then you are save.
Most providers give you a amount of free traffic. 1,2, 5 GB/Month (i have 10)
As long as you do not exceed this limit all is ok. When you reach the limit most providers does allow more but limited in speed.

 

[rabbitBUSH]

When you reach the limit most providers does allow more but limited in speed.

Except in South Africa where they are likely to bill you per MB at an unattractive rate......Might, just as a thought, be better just to rationalise the MQTT traffic anyway - hosting companies, if you're on that route, might limit the amount of traffic (bandwidth), which seems to be the model here as well. Any old thing to make money out of us.....

 

[emexes]

Does anyone know how the mobile operators calculate data usage when MQTT messages are sent/received?

Every operator is different. Simplest and most accurate way is to check the billing, or take a difference of your service balances over a period of usage eg > 1 hour.

Your account should have a web portal or an app, usually you can access balance and data usage numbers via that, but they might lag up to 24 hours.

Often you can text a keyword eg "balance" to a particular number, and get back your current balances eg MB data remaining for billing period.

 

[DonManfred]

Except in South Africa where they are likely to bill you per MB at an unattractive rate....

I should have mentioned that my answer is not valid worldwide. I only can tell about germany ;-)

 

[emexes]

Except in South Africa where they are likely to bill you per MB at an unattractive rate......

If it's any consolation: such $#i% plans exist everywhere. You're not alone.