Stephen's Blogs – Stephen Hon's Blogs (韓啟年)

12:59PM A staff from DIGI called to ask me for simple survey. He said that I have subscribed to DIGI broadband service before and also have terminated it. He just want to know why I terminated it. The answer is simple. You can’t provide the better service of what your competitors (Maxis, Celcom or Umobile) can provide! Sure you will loose customer.

What I believe is if you are in the marketing department, you should have known the answer already. No need to call up customer to asked them “Why you terminated the services ?” Well… I think to get competitors brochures is not that difficult right? Take their brochures backand sit down to study each of their services and compare the one provided by your company.

Nowadays if want to talk about wireless broadband, speed is important then followed by areas of coverage and lastly competitive rates. If your speed still some where 236 KBps (GRPS or The Edge) and your competitior already 1.8 Mbps, 3.6 Mbps (3G, HSDPA, UTMS or 4G) or more then you are still the loser. If you don’t know this, the company shouldn’t pay you the wages. It should pay to me…. by right because I gave the answers. Ha! Ha! But why no company pay me?

Since talked about broadband here, I have some history to share. The first broadband service I have subscribed to was TM streamyx (1 Mbps) when I was staying at Taman Melawati.  When I shifted to Taman Melati I need to terminate this service as the streamyx was not available there at that moment.  So it force me to go back to crawling like turtle by using normal dial-up. No only damn slow but also generate RM 200 to RM 250 monthly phone bill for me.

This last for several months until Celcom launched it 3G Wireless Broadband in Klang Valley. This is a good news for me as I can get the broadband feeling back! But the bad news is I need to take out another RM 1500 to buy the modem. Auuuch! It definitely pulling out a big tooth but what to do? This is the only alternative choice I have.

I tested it out in Taman Melati and it is surely faster than stremyx (1.8 Mbps) HSDPA but nightmare came again when I need to shift to Wangsa Maju. The speed drop tremendously. Sometime HSDPA to the EDGE. Don’t know why. When I made complain, Celcom also don’t know the reason.

When I tested it in Malacca, it is fast (HSDPA) but it getting worse when tested it in Seremban (GPRS to EDGE) and you don’t even notice the HSDPA sign. When paying the bill I asked Celcom again. Why certain areas in Klang Valley is fast and so slow in Seremban. The staff told me that when Celcom launcing the 3G it is targeting to start at 3 areas. That is Johor Bharu, Malacca and Klang Valey. No wonder Seremban so slow as it not yet in their list.

Then one day I received an SMS from Celcom said that they are going to upgrade their network and I will be facing some interruption. Yes it began! This is where the hell break loose! For almost 1 month I can’t even online. Logging in…. broken and then totally not able to log in. What the heck!

This period I spent most of the time either in Bangi Kopitiam or Starbuck and it also increased my expenses. Everytime there, need to order something to drink or eat then only you can used their electrical socket and this Celcom Broadband bill also need to pay even you did not use it. Too much coffee also made me “High high, dizzy, dizzy”

Leaving me no choice I consider DIGI or Maxis that moment. And it just a coincidence that DIGI opened a new service center in Taman Melawati. The nearest to my place. So I walked the shop to enquire and told the staff there about my problem with Celcom. The staff said I can borrow one of their SIM Card back to try but I need to buy another mobile phone that support the broadband. In order to try to save money I have asked them to test it on my Celcom modem to see if it is compatible. The laptop can detect but it hang half way so it leave me no choice, like it or not need to fish out another RM 400++ to buy the mobile phone.

When back home I try and it can work but rather slower than Celcom. You cannot watch Youtube but better than cannot online at all.