17 August 2020

Dear Student

On two previous occasions, the University made available a facility for students to apply for a data bundle to be loaded by one of the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) onto a Vodacom, MTN, Telkom or Cell C number that students provided – and the cost of this data bundle was covered by the University. 

Many thousands of students have benefitted from these two opportunities that have been provided to date, viz during “Data Bundle Offer 1” and “Data Bundle Offer 2”.  These previous data bundle offers were primarily aimed at assisting students who lacked adequate connectivity to write tests and exams.

Although these earlier Data Bundle Offerings 1 and 2 are now closed, the University has decided to again assist students in need of data, and the facility to apply for a third data bundle was re-opened on Saturday 15 August and will run for a limited time.

As with the previous offer, the size of this data bundle available under this “Data Bundle Offer 3” varies slightly from mobile operator to mobile operator, but is typically for 20GB of data (10Gb Any Time and 10GB Night Time) and typically expires 30 days after being made available.

However, in order to be eligible for “Data Bundle Offer 3” you MUST log on as described below and provide the data requested.  Consequently:

• Those students who did NOT apply earlier for either “Data Bundle Offer 1” or “Data Bundle Offer 2”, can elect to now apply for “Data Bundle Offer 3”.  They are required to log on as described below and furnish UP with the data requested.
• Those who applied previously – either for “Data Bundle Offer 1” and/or for “Data Bundle Offer 2” (whether successfully or unsuccessfully), and now want to apply for “Data Bundle Offer 3” MUST AGAIN log on and either:
  • Confirm that their previously captured information is still valid and re-submit,

OR

• If you want this latest requested data bundle sent elsewhere, then update the previously provided information and re-submit these changes.

UP is aware of a small number of students who either:

• Applied very late for Data Bundle 2 and who regrettably missed the cut-off/closing date – or
• Whose request for Data Bundle 2 was forwarded by UP to their nominated Mobile Operator, but the Mobile Operator either:
  • Did not recognise the number provided by the student, or
  • Had other reasons for declining to activate the requested data bundle. 

These students - who applied for Data Bundle 2, but who did not receive their data bundles - are requested to please RE- APPLY, this time for “Data Bundle Offer 3” (as your failed “Data Bundle Bundle 2” application has been closed, and will not be automatically converted to a “Data Bundle Offer 3” application).

To apply for “Data Bundle Offer 3”, please:

• Either:
  • Go directly to www.up.ac.za and select the “My UP Login” link to log onto the UP Portal, or
  • Attempt to log on via connect.up.ac.za. Select the icon labelled www.up.ac.za then select the “My UP Login” link to log onto the UP Portal
• From the portlets available to you in the UP Portal, click on the (green) “GO” button associated with the portlet titled “Student Centre”.
• Ensure that you land on, or navigate to, the (default) collection of tiles labelled “UP Student Self-Service”.
• Locate and click on the “tile” labelled “Data Bundle”.
• On this function, you will be asked to either enter, confirm or update:
  • The name of the mobile service provider and the mobile number to which you want this data bundle loaded (namely Cell C, MTN, Telkom or Vodacom).
  • The last 9 digits of the mobile number to which you want the data bundle sent.
  • Confirm whether the number that you specified to receive the data bundle is also your normal contact mobile/cellular number on which UP can call or SMS you.
• Click Submit.

The first “batch” of numbers to be sent to the MNO for this “Data Bundle Offer 3” will be extracted and sent on the morning of Friday 21 August 2020.  Consequently, you are urged to log on as soon as possible and specify the mobile number to which the data should be sent.

Thereafter, UP will periodically (i.e. every 4-5 days for the next while), combine all the newly added requests for “Data Bundle Offer 3” received from students and will forward this latest batch of numbers to the respective mobile operators.

As before, the window of opportunity available to you to apply for this Data Bundle Offer 3 will not remain open indefinitely. It will stay open until at least Friday 28 August, but thereafter UP could elect to close this offer at any time.

NOTES:

Regrettably, once UP has sent this data to the Mobile Network Operators, UP depends on the efficiency of the respective Operator to process these requests – and so you should anticipate a lag time between your request being sent to the Operator and the data bundle being made available to you.

This data bundle download facility is not available to persons who are either “Study Applicants” such as people who are not yet enrolled at UP, or students who are enrolled on any of UP’s Online Study programmes. Furthermore, data bundles cannot be requested for SIM cards not issued by one of the above-mentioned mobile operators – even if it is a non-SA SIM card that is connected via “roaming” to one of these mobile operators.

If you happen to be in the fortunate position of already having access to adequate data through your home Wi-Fi, or have recently moved to a location where adequate connectivity exists, then please do not request this data bundle.

If you experience any problems, please contact the IT help desk at [email protected] / 012 420 3051 between 07:00 and 16:30. A standby service is available from 16:30 to 22:00.

Reminder: Wherever possible, students are encouraged to make use of UP Connect (https://connect.up.ac.za) to access UP-related content with reduced data charges.