Frankly, I have never taken up a cable internet. However, there are enough people to relate their horror experiences with the same.
Sify Broadband’s perfidy is legendary. They absolutely “bastardised” the access. Mercifully, it wasn’t around me anywhere or I would have become a self destruct automaton.
The biggest hassle is the local Cable TV Operator / local goon has jumped in the fray. Traditionally associated with monopoly, they have no incentive to improve. It’s another thing that mafia/ political complex has a direct stake in the same. Which only makes the matters worse. There have been reports in the media about the turf wars and broad daylight killings.
With the entry of big money, smaller marginal operators have been wiped out. So, you would only see biggies in the fray with “broadband” strung from trees, electricity poles and it’s associated myriad hassles. This is NO broadband by any strech of imagination but we can give them the benefit of doubt.
The hassle is last mile access. It needs investments and in a regime where the regulation is ineffective and licence norms often silent on the ownership, no one wants to risk serious money. At best, we have been wrecked by “also rans” in the business, under cutting service and providing the crappiest service imaginable. That’s why DSL guys are jumping in the fray on a big time basis or you would see a subtle “product placement” for cable internet in the media. Where there would be an inane debate about which is better- cable or DSL.
It’s no one’s business actually, to try and ameliorate the present impasse. With weird package selections and worse speeds. it’s a matter of time before cable internet is a cop out. TRAI being ineffective hasn’t really helped the matters really.
The best for the last. I was fed up on slow BSNL dial up; I was making enquiries from an ISP, Glide, for it’s cable internet. I believe that these chaps are no where in the business now. But in their heydays, they quoted the price. For streching the cable to 500 metres, they wanted upfront payment of Rs 10,000/- (Rs, Ten Thousand). (I didnt add the zeros myself). Then, they wanted a thousand bucks per month for “unlimited”- hold your breath- unlimited 2K.
I have seen such horrors but mercifully never been to a mental asylum on account of this. I balked and puked and finally mustered enough strength to say, “shove it up yours dude”.
Status quo. And life goes on with BSNL “broadband” and 1 GB of limits. Sheesh.
Can we have some sanity here in this country? You wish to go on a “wild west theme” with the premise of “smokin’ em out”- a la texan attitude. (Apologies to Geroge Dubya Bush). But then, this is democracy and we must allow profound idiots to co exist. (Either in the garb of Marxists or Congressies). Or else, it would be a dull place. Imagine if I getting 100Mbps streaming speeds via fibre at thouand bucks per month, who would give me a reason to bitch and you to agree with me mostly?
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Hi everyone,
Recently I have started using 192 kbps Unlimited from Iqara in Mumbai, the download speed is capped at 15 KBps, very good for surfing, but for downloading takes quite a long time. Connection does not go down, which is great. Need to keep computer on for several hrs to donwlaod huge files.
Earlier I was using Iqara 3 GB Plan fopr which i paid a whopping 1350 Rs. \
Even prior to that I was using BSES Powersurfer 64 kbps (they had only one type of plan), That was quite a shitty connection, 8 KBps download speed and then reduced to 6 KBps, had to keep my computer on for several days to download huge files. And subsequently it got fried. (and now BSES is taken over by Reliance)
Dont know when shall Indians get true "256 kbps" broadband speeds at rates like Rs 400 per month.
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