Why Rakuten vs. DMM?
Why Rakuten vs. DMM?
Well… it’s because the budget SIM
I’ve been using for a long time is from DMM Mobile
. While more people these days are open to budget SIMs, back when I signed up, they weren’t widely adopted yet, and most people were still using major carriers.When people asked, “Which cell phone company do you use?” and I answered, “DMM,” they’d often mock me, saying, “Huh?! Isn’t that the company that makes [X]?”—yet they were also surprised to learn that DMM actually operated as a mobile carrier.
On a completely different note, back when the iPhone hadn’t been released in Japan yet, the iPod touch was the only Apple device available. At the time, I was still unhappy with the high costs of major carriers, so even though I had a PHS from the now-defunct Willcom, I used a pocket Wi-Fi to connect my iPod touch.A lot of people were surprised to see me watching movies on my iPod touch while riding the train. But I used my PHS for calls. It was an era where I couldn’t tell if I was cutting-edge or behind the times.
Haha, yeah, I’m the kind of person who’s really particular about fixed expenses. I mean, it’s money that just disappears even if you don’t do a single thing.
Don’t you hate that? (´；ω；｀)
So, our household currently gets by with two voice SIM cards (for me and my wife), one data SIM (for my mom’s iPad back in the countryside), and a WiMAX pocket Wi-Fi.
Last month’s bill for December was 5,535 yen for DMM Mobile and 3,976 yen for the pocket Wi-Fi, for a total of 9,511 yen.
Isn’t 9,511 yen pretty cheap for both my wife’s and my cell phones, plus my mom’s iPad in the countryside, and our home Wi-Fi?
Honestly, I think the WiMAX pocket Wi-Fi has room for improvement, so I’m going to cancel it next month in February when the contract renews. At this price, I’m starting to think fiber-optic internet might actually be a better option ^^; However, DMM’s rates are unbeatable.By the way, since I have Wi-Fi, I don’t need that much data, so I’m on the 8GB shared plan.
Even though I’m satisfied with DMM, why am I considering Rakuten? It’s because I’m interested in Rakuten, which claims to maintain speeds of 1 MB even when speed limits are in place. And also, because I’m a heavy Rakuten user. Haha
Comparison for a Single-User Plan
So first, I looked into the options for a single-user plan. For pricing, I compared the amounts excluding tax.For Rakuten, I calculated the first year as a Diamond Member rate, the second year at the “2-Year Discount” rate, and the third year at the standard rate. For DMM, I compared the same 2GB plan by adding the “10-Minute Free” option to match Rakuten’s conditions. By the way, this is also because my household already has the “10-Minute Free” option with DMM.
DMM vs.
Rakuten (Single-User Scenario
)
I might have overlooked some details, but based on my calculations, Rakuten is 15,000 yen cheaper
when using the service for three years. Even when moving into the fourth year and paying the standard rate, Rakuten is still 6,000 yen cheaper.
For Our Household (2 Voice SIMs, 1 Data SIM)
Next, let’s look at the case of family use, like our household. For me, this is the main point!! After all, our household budget is on the line… By the way, since there were many things I didn’t understand about the rates, I’m writing this based on what I confirmed with Rakuten Mobile store staff.
There are two points I found particularly important:
① When speed restrictions kick in, the Rakuten data SIM drops to 200 kb. Only the “Super Unlimited” voice SIM plan offers speeds of 1 MB.
② The Rakuten Diamond membership benefit applies to only one line per account holder. Since
I considered these two points to be significant, I factored them into the calculations below.
By the way, the reason I’m using three voice SIMs instead of a data SIM is to ensure I can still get 1 MB even when speed restrictions are in place. I figured even my mom, who lives in the countryside, would find 200 kB a real pain… lol
. For three people using DMM and Rakuten
Calculating based on three years of use, Rakuten comes to 136,560 yen and DMM to 131,400 yen, so
DMM is 5,160 yen cheaper
. I thought 5,160 yen wasn’t that much of a difference, but starting in the fourth year, the comparison shifts to standard rates, meaning DMM will be 27,720 yen cheaper each year.
I doubt anyone reading this article would just keep paying their cell phone bill for four years without reviewing it, but I do get the feeling that I might start finding it more of a hassle as I get older. lol Actually, if you know of any other budget SIM plans that offer better deals, please let me know. ｡ﾟ･（>A<）･ﾟ｡
DMM Might Be the Best Deal for Our Household
So, here’s my conclusion.
I’ve come to the conclusion that staying with DMM might be the best option for our household right now.
As a heavy Rakuten user, the extra points on Rakuten Ichiba are hard to pass up, but since Amazon was the one offering free shipping when I returned to my southern island, there are signs that my life within the Rakuten ecosystem might come to an end in about two months…
Well, I won’t just focus on the best deals—I’ll make sure to spend my money locally so the
island’s economy stays
strong when I go back.After all, when a typhoon hits, when the power goes out, or when a utility pole falls and cuts off the road—Amazon and Rakuten won’t be delivering supplies to us in those situations. So, to sum up, I’d like to shop at local stores as much as possible. It’s a bit of a
rambling post, but thank you for reading.
