PTCL and Cybernet - Flop-Broadband and Cyber-Extreme-Depression experiences

[Fouad Bajwa]

Dear TGP community,

I know everyone has their set of different experiences with broadband
providers like PTCL and Cybernet, the top notch Internet Service
Providers in Pakistan but recent happenings at the personal end for me
have deteriorated my consumer confidence in these two companies
permanently. I will have to give a disclaimer that this may only be my
very own situation but its crazy.

Wouldn't it be interesting to learn that I have been surviving without
landline/DSL for over a month now at my residence. I am a Cybernet
user and have been so for quite some time now around more than two
years. Somehow, my Internet was switched off last month without my
knowledge at home by Cybernet. Since I personally use Worldcall EVDO
on the go, my family members just sighed to their fate as I was away.
No response to their calls to customer service. It may have been the
bill because Cybernet didn't collect it but that's no reason to switch
off a dedicated customer/consumer.

Anyway, seeing my plight, a close acquaintance guided me to go for the
PTCL Broadband Pakistan Optic Fiber connectivity option for
residential usage. I thought the idea was perfect and I could use the
landline and broadband and probably their quad play package in the
near future. So all jolly and happy that my residence will get
connected back to the Internet in 7 days and on an optic fibre,
woohoo, I went down to the PTCL CS Centre in Garden Town Lahore and a
CS member happily filled an application form for a new line for me and
advised me that Optic Fibre would be a great experience and blah blah
and that I will have PTCL people come with a demand note within 7 days
and sort out everything because PTCL is wonderful in its new
connections and broad band. Well, pafooeee!!!! All crap and a bunch of
bad mangos!

Its August now and no PTCL, Cybernet came in my black list of ISPs and
now PTCL sits at the same level in the list. I am disappointed by both
these companies and and I wish there was a real truthful service
provider in Lahore that would live up to their claims. My small
Worldcall EVDO beats these companies throwing rotten tomatoes in their
faces. Worldcall even gives 10-14 days and then switches off and then
sends me a personalized SMS offering me savings on timely payments.
Does OmanTel outweigh our Middle Eastern corporate and our Karachi
based Internet giant? I think they do!

So in the end I pay for years to Cybernet and get the mango instead of
them atleast calling me and notifying me why I have been switched
offline. ! I attempt to test PTCL for all good sakes and get the
langra mango! It seems as if mango season has turned all offerings and
providers into a mango party. Imagine the state of my catharsis
because all this is very ironic for me and ironically I can't eat
mangoes because I am allergic to them!

--
Regards.
--------------------------
Fouad Bajwa

[Waqas Asghar]

Well a good option for you can be wiamx,since its completely wireless you will be saved with half of the hastle.

--
Manage your subscription: http://groups.google.com/group/telecom-grid-pakistan
Browse and populate the community wiki at: http://wiki.telecompk.net

--
Waqas Asghar
+923335495619

[Fawad Niazi]

Interesting scenario ... I have applied for landline connection (broadband is next stage) for my home in start of june :)

 

I am still waiting for the order confirmation call ... Reminded PTCL C.S. 3 times :(

 

I had phone and braodband but "living on rent" is difficult proposition to have same landline numbers intact.

 

I am the loyal customer of PTCL so waiting till my family get frustrated and ...

 

Anyways! enjoy the beauty of PTCL services and I wish PTCL all the best in keeping people on waiting list and spending the resources in finding reasons of user churn.

 

My two cents ... by the way i love mangoes :)

 

[Tahir Javed]

Don't be pannic dear and try to pay off ur dues timely to avoid such hassel (friendly opinion)

 

/Tj

--
....Tahir Javed

[Fouad Bajwa]

Dues have never been a problem Tahir as I've been a loyal customer
with Cybernet despite their crazy management and disconnections but
all was ok as we also had alternate back-up for such cases but this
one just fell apart! PTCL has its own headaches that I am learning
now. In the earlier days of privatized PTCL offerings have had good
comments but nowadays I hear more troubles than ever and with the
rainfalls, almost dead stop!

--
Regards.
--------------------------
Fouad Bajwa

[Arshad]

Fouad sb,

You are right. Though i have no experience of Cybernet (and don't want to have after seeing your remarks), but being the sole PSTN copper landline provider, PTCL is bugging me up these days since i fell as a pray for requiring DSL at home. Despite having Sifarish for my PTCL line, the linemen (who have protocol equivalent to President) don't seem to bother and take action. Probably i am being penalized for not offering any "special offers" or "Ramadan offer" to lineman and paying demand note fee only...


BR

Arshad

Warm Wishes,

Muhammad Arshad Majeed

http://pk.linkedin.com/in/arshadmajeed

[Fouad Bajwa]

Dear Arshad,

As we can relate to each other, there is a strong need for some
telecom/internet consumer oriented body today that can be a one stop
monitor of these companies. Well I guess this comes out of my pain for
not getting any DSL :o(

[Riaz Marwat]

My family in Islamabad is facing similar dilemma as you. They applied for a telpehone connection from PTCL 3 weeks ago Online. The CS told my brother that the local exchange staff will contact him with in a week. Lo and behold, three weeks and no word from PTCL. I told my brother to get ready for a telephone bill without a telephone line.

BR

Riaz