Used this in Delhi for 19 months. Speed was good – BUT,
only when it was working – but once you face any(just any.) problem, you will realize the meaning of word “sarkaree” . Despite of
writing all this, I had to use it because it was the only
service provider in my area at that time. Even getting connection transferred was a pain - I just gave it up and had got
AirTel for me - although a bit costlier/slow for same speed/cost, but has been a pleasure to
use it(.or, at least till now):
Installation: By the local lineman, who knows basics of wire-connection,
but you must know the basic installation to start the net after that–otherwise the “SDO” will come to install – which if(you miss the hints) may be
after a few days.
Wiring: No help in wiring inside home-compare this with the
professional wiring set up of AirTel*
Speed: Max is 256kbps, and a *working connection sometimes gives
around that much – which is very good and is sufficient for listening songs
online and working from ho./me using remote desktop. Billing: If you can submit bills online then it is good – otherwise find a
Sanchar Haat or drop box – not many in number, and you can’t negotiate on some
extra /late payment charges – which you can do with private-sector players.*
Billing-issues**: Hopeless in this front – 1500/helpdesk will tell you that there is NO provision for that and
it must be YOUR mistake….all you can do is that write an application and submit
it to SDO…and then follow the standard complaint handling mechanism described
by TRAI( some ombdusman / phone adalat etc…). But if you think time equals
money – then there is nothing except bearing with it.*
Complaint handling:
General Customer support:** Please
read billing-issues above – they may even cut your call if they think that you
are bothering them too much. MTNL’s support staff do NOT provide there names Then
there is some concepts of a “normal complaint” and a “VIP complaint”. For those
with less then perfect Hindi – these guys don’t speak English even if you pick ‘2
for english’ *
Technical support:** After a banging you head a few times – you’ll stop
calling them and will start doing a “restart ADSL through 192.168.1.1” or ping
yourself or after analyzing which LED’s blinking, deciding to call for
complaint(alongwith the precise reason) - they are not of any use, except than
providing the basic support to neophytes.
For troubles which require some involvement of technical staff of your
exchange, you need to 1. Write an application on paper 2. Present it to SDO –
please, do keep a signed cc with yourself otherwise this is as good as thrown
in a well 3. Keep on hoping that he’ll come today/tomorrow.
God forbid if you get a faulty modem – boy, the steps are 1-3 above and then 4.
Pick your instrument, go to the store(store is NOT= sanchar haat or exchange
– and at probably a different location – and a different, suspicious babu…which
you’ll know after a couple of visits!), there, do invest some time and get the
new instrument back…as simple as that.
Also, the technical staff works Mon-Fri 10-5 daytime(works?) and for
half-a-day on Saturdays.*
Online complaint: **Broadband complaint link, https://vcare.mtnldelhi.in:7777/
does NOT work!*
Level of corruption: **None – zero, if 1. You know somebody on the top. 2.
You don’t mind getting your equipment repaired after a week or two. Otherwise just pay heed to the “hints” - and think that the money you paid
makes up for the money MTNL is charging(as compared to other service
provider). OR As told to me by one of them “Amrika me bhee to log tip
dete hee hain…(In America too, one gives tips…)”. It is NOT by the local
linesman – but by the Engineer.
Service: Do NOT expect anything,
and you’ll be happy. Not even the standard virus-protection pack for
subscribers. Guys don’t believe in power of advertisements - so the new /
changed service you’ll ever hear would either from any broadband-forum( or
from any friend who has made it a hobby to read small-print-ads)**.
Cost: ** If things go alright – if+alright+always – this is the cheapest
one, otherwise, a sheer wastage of time and money.*
Reliability: **My troubles started in July, 2007 (I got new phone in
April, 2007), after that NOT a single month went without any issue.don’t
think that I didn’t do anything - I went to Sanchar haat and then to the
exchange where the Engineer demanded(NOT expected, but demanded) money from me, which I refused and almost
all the month was without any net. Finally got modem replaced at
their store for free, but after another complete week in next month. Downtime was at least 5 days per month - but don’t ever expect any refund etc for this.*
Transfer of phone(within Delhi):** This being the cheapest service, and JE cares to fix if you drop a few mails with cc to top, I thought to give these
guys another chance, but
then they too are confused themselves how to do it(phone shifting)- 1500
says 1.Either go to Sanchar haats(not sure which old or new - position number
32 does not know this) or 2.to local exchange or 3. or a panacea to all -
just go to Chankyapuri commercial office/Sanchar haat. One of them did tell me
a number too to fax the application, but it always remained busy. Although I
did manage to find an esoteric link and submit a form which did give me a
reference number alongwith a promise of getting it done within 24 hours.but,
didn’t get anything and then again in response to my million-mails-to-all-gm/dgm/agm-of-delhi,
got a call from local JE who wanted to know why am I in such a hurry(after just 15 days.?), and told
me that shifting through an application on the net is IMPOSSIBLE.
*Terminating the
connection:** Even getting the phone surrendered or disconnecting is a
big pain. Site says - call 1500 and terminate - 1500 says go to local Sanchar
haat and drop the application. Local Sanchar Haat(Fateh-puri: Mr. Tomar) says
that they do NOT accept termination at this time I really got a bit upset and
dropped a mail to almost all the MTNL gm/dgm in Delhi - then got a call from JE of local phone exchange - who told me to go to Chankyapuri commercial office(Mon-Fri 9-5). Finally, took a day’s off to go there, and submitted the
disconnection application - I hope to get a refund-cheque– but before that I’ll have to submit the instrument to local
exchange and then send the receipt too to Chankyapuri - still a long way to go!