EDITOR - I am frustrated and not amused with Econet for their daylight robbery of users of their "broadband" services. For the past couple of months we have been paying $25 per month for a service that was launched as 3G which essentially functioned only as EDGE/GPRS.
There were no apologies proffered for this deceit. One wonders what the POTRAZ has been doing – sleeping on the job obviously! Now we have been migrated to whatever new packages that are on offer. Essentially found myself failing to access internet last week on Thursday.
Only on Friday did I get a text that there was disruption of service due to migration of services followed by another text informing me that my $25 data subscription had been migrated to a 100MB bundle. Still I wasn’t getting any service. My subscription was lapsing on Saturday so I didn’t bother paying since there was no service then. eventually managed to go to the Econet shop on Tuesday only to discover that another “great broadband robbery” was taking place! The 100MB package is now going for US$30 while for 1G one has to part with a cool US$100? I decided to pay for the $30 package. After close to two hours I eventually got a text that my 100MB recharge was successful but today is Friday and I still can’t access the internet despite having eventually gone to an Econet shop on Wednesday and being promised the problems would be resolved by evening.
I have received calls from several other people failing to access the internet via the Econet service. Trying to find out what the problem has proved quite a task with the customer care number with a pre-recorded voice prompt essentially kicking one off after a few seconds with no help having been received.
The Econet shops are packed with new users trying to get data services/old customers whose services no longer exist. Tuesday evening I did a quick check on what others are paying for 3G services: in the United Kingdom one can have a 3GB package for US$24 per month or 500MB for US$8, in Australia a 100MB costs US$9.80 and in New Zealand 500MB costs about US$31 and closer to home in South Africa MTN charges US$27 for 500MB or with Vodacom US$12.70 for 110MB. – S. Gonoria
Econet explains new system
EDITOR – Prior to the launch of Econet Broadband, all customers using our data services were indeed being charged a flat monthly subscription fee of $25 for unlimited internet access. What this meant was that a light consumer of data was being charged the same as a heavy user. With our new system, customers will be charged only for what they use, nothing more, and nothing less. This is a fair system that is being followed by many operators globally. Econet is therefore following international best practice.
We fully realised that our customers have different usage patterns. This is why, with Econet Broadband, our customers can now choose the amount of data they can purchase at a time. We have given customers the option to buy anything from the small bundles, such as the 5MB for a dollar, to a gigabyte and over. This way, customers can choose which package best suits their needs and spending patterns.
The cost of any product or service will inevitably be determined by the level of investment a service provider puts into it. To provide true broadband access, an operator has to lay out significant investment in terms of laying fibre to the sea to reach undersea cables, from which operators can tap into high speed data. Additionally, they have to pay for back up satellite links while also building base stations. An operator in a landlocked country, such as Zimbabwe, will inevitably have to pay more to lay fibre to the sea so as to connect to the undersea fibre cables. It is, therefore, unfair to compare prices with those of operators that may well have direct access to the sea.
We would like to fully acknowledge and express regret for any inconvenience faced by customers during the changeover. Our processes are constantly in review to ensure customers get the best service, and we are glad to report our stores are clear of congestion. For customers wishing to buy the Econet Broadband hardware they need to connect at home or at the office, our customer service teams are ready in-store to assist.
It is important though that we inform your readers that they do not have to go to a store to get internet connection on their mobile phones. Once you load a SIM card into your phone, Econet will send you settings that you must save to your handset. Should you not receive these, send the message ALL to 222, and the settings should be sent to you. Once you have saved your settings, dial *140# and choose the option to purchase your data bundles.
Once again, we thank our customers for their forbearance and support. While we continue to face great difficulty, we are undeterred in our mission to bring a quality service to our customers. – Ranga Mberi, Corporate Communications Manager, Econet
Post published in: News