On every other day, I lodge several complaints in the company and make calls to technicians of internet operators for fixing network problems to restore internet services of my offices.
I am fade up changing internet connections of various operators because I have no choice as there are limited services access to my office and the available networks provide poor quality of service with frequent disruption.
Shoaib Arfi, an IT administrator of private company, briefly explains his office routine while terming broadband service providers as poor and substandard.
We have got connections of three internet services for a small office and pay bills regularly every month before due date but we did not get satisfactory service and suffer again and again. Who will save us from the hell?
I keep on testing service quality because I have to ensure internet services to staff of 20 members at my office uninterrupted but I fail to do my task because of substandard quality of broadband operators, he said.
The experiences of Arfi are not different with the routines of many IT administrators at their IT section and they also face frequent disconnection of internet services or poor speed many times in a week.
If Wateen is working today then it is not sure it will work on tomorrow. Wi-Tribe is quite good but it service goes off often for service maintenance. PTCL internet runs smoothly but if it stops, it will take one week to get normal. The quality of Mobilink Infinity service, just leave it.
Home users are not happy with their internet services
In commercial areas the uninterrupted internet has become a blessing for office workers particularly those working in medium and small sized companies. But home users are not happy with their services too particularly on weekends, special holidays and on strikes.
The weak signal problems are being reportedly increasing many times a day as users can’t download any data neither they can watch any movie on Youtube at the speed normally claimed by the service providers.
What’s wrong in the Internet services?
The broadband users are increasing on networks of different services providers but their infrastructure is not as such with same pace, resulting the network fails to provide strong or excellent signals in certain hours to customers.
The network whether it is DSL or Wimax, it has a limit and a capacity. But if things cross networks’ limits the disruption and low signals are inevitable at customers’ end, said Moaz Siddqui, an IT expert.
For instance what’s wrong with internet providers of DSL? The companies such as PTCL has provided too many connections in one area with limited infrastructure required to cater their demand, resulting a lot of customers suffer power connectivity as if a pipeline having too many connections slowdown the speed of water to its receiver.
Unlikely the Wimax or wireless internet operators manage their functions on probability through assessment of users’ routine. It means, 50 users get online at a time the network which has capability to serve 30 users can’t give them proper service in particularly area, said Saeed Azfar, a network engineer.
The customers sitting at distant place from towers of service providers also face problems of weak signal in the situation when customers located nearby towers switch on their internet, he added.
How many internet and broadband users and services providers?
According to an estimate, there are 22 million internet users having different wired, wireline connections and mobile internet. It does not mean the number of connects are same with the users’ number because one connection at home or office can be shared by more than one person at one time or different.
There are nearly 5 million broadband users as well using advance technology of Wimax, DSL or EvDo, however the number of connections stood at nearly 2 million thanks to Wi-Fi enabled mobile set, iPads and laptops.
The number of services providers is nearly 50 including 10 broadband companies operating in different parts of the country under their licences.
What PTA and service Provider should do?
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) should formulate strict standards and monitoring system for improving high quality of broadband services by operators.
The authority should change its Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for improving quality and availability of services, retainability, upload and download speed.
The PTA should develop a complaints cell to keep its vigilance on the service providers. On the other hand, it should conducts quality of service survey on regular basis in residential and commercial sector.
The broadband operators should enhance infrastructure deployment with advance technology in major cities that will pave the way to enhance their number of connections and revenue earning in major cities.
The internet has become the essential service for students, professionals and entrepreneurs so it is being taken seriously by the authority and service providers to ensure the availability of better services in the country.
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