When dealing with Tata Indicom Broadband you have to be a bit careful about your needs. You should not apply for this service if the following is what you want
If you want to have a prepaid internet connection.
If you want a cheap service.
The Tata’s have never been good at exploiting the prepaid segment, and hence they tend to ignore the needs of prepaid subscribers and concentrate on the postpaid ones. Now you’d ask me how it makes a difference since a Prepaid and Postpaid subscriber are both connected to the same ISP. Well it’s like this, the lines for prepaid users and postpaid users(at least on this ISP) are different. That is why you will not be able to simply shift from prepaid to postpaid or vice versa. Also let me assure you, that the service provided to prepaid subscribers is quite poor. They are outright indifferent towards prepaid subscribers, don’t ask me why, I have no clue. Further this service is NOT CHEAP. For example, a 128 unlimited pack comes for around Rs. 800 per month, while for Airtel it is Rs. 600(the amounts quoted are exclusive of tax so you will have to add another 12.24% to it). Plus they do not give any happy hours or unlimited download for time based, or Volume based net connections. So even if you surf after 12 am you are still being charged the normal rate.
You should take a Tata connection if the following apply to you.
You want a postpaid connection.
You are a Tata employee
You want good service rather than a cheap one
You know a good dealer of Tata Indicom
*I want to state something before continuing with the review.*
Every ISP in this country has some cities where they are better. And in every city there are some areas where they perform miserably, as their infrastructure is not up to the task. And this is applicable to all ISPs. So what I state in this review may or may not be applicable to the area where you live.
When you join Tata Indicom Broadband, the first thing that you **do not **do is **become a** **prepaid subscriber**. The engineers always give priority to fixing postpaid lines rather than prepaid ones. So if you are a postpaid subscriber you just call them, and within a few hours your problem, whatever it is, is fixed. They also respond to your e-mails. They follow up on all your complaints. If you are a prepaid subscriber, then you are in for trouble, you’d smash your head on theirs and still not get an apt response.
So first thing if you want to join Tata Indicom Broadband, you better join as a POSTPAID Subscriber.
The **advantages of being a Tata Employee** are obvious you get discounts on installation and modem rental. But even if you are not a Tata Employee it is not unaffordable. The plans for postpaid subscriber are relatively expensive. But add on services like antivirus support and other stuff is good. The speed is good, service is pretty decent. I get through their number almost always in the first ring. They follow up my complaint always. Never had any problems with their service, in the three years that I have been their customer.
*Knowing a good dealer.** It depends on the dealer how quickly things are set up at your place, if you get a very good dealer, it will all be done in one day flat! If you get a bad one… Then I give no guarantees… But finding a good one is not that hard actually. Sometimes it depends on your luck though.
I would not say that they are the best ISP in India, but they are pretty good if you keep the points that I have stated, in mind. They provide PC-Cillin Antivirus Support for which they charge you Rs. 500 a year or alternatively Rs. 50 a month. You get the original software and are eligible for all kinds of support from Trend Micro. There are a few more services they provide like net telephony. I have not used those though.
As a postpaid subscriber you can drop cheques for your bill in either skypack drop boxes or ICICI drop boxes - both of which are distributed around the city - which is easier than getting a recharge. In some areas the dealers actually pick up the cheque from your doorstep. But that is up to the dealer. There are various plans to choose from. You can choose a 128 or a 256 unlimited pack, which will cost you Rs. 800 and Rs. 1, 200 respectively(exclusive of tax which is an additional 12.24%). For a 512 connection you do not get unlimited or hourly packs, only volume based ones. I was lucky that I got 25 hours pack for 512kbps. But I think that is a bit expensive since I am a heavy user, the hours consumed in excess of the 25hrs are charged at Rs. 25 per hr. And since I consume around 50 hours you can just imagine! So I have shifted over to 128 unlimited.
I have just stated a few of the plans for more you’ll have to go to their website.
All in all it is a good ISP meant for post paid subscribers, who prefer quality to cheap rates.