MTNL broadband plans are more expensive, less attractive

I have been a huge fan of MTNL Broadband on this blog. Out of all the internet service providers I have used, they have proved to be the most reliable and most reasonably priced till date and the customer service experience has not been bad either. Of course with the shrinking base of landline customers, it also stands to reason that they are able to service them better.

But the latest TriBand plans from MTNL Mumbai have been a huge disappointment. They favour low-bandwidth unlimited usage and are seem to be priced higher to discourage high-bandwidth, heavy data users. High bandwidth is a misnomer - 2 Mbps is not considered high speed in most developed countries and 256 kbps is not even broadband anyway. With most households now connecting multiple devices wirelessly to the internet (laptops, smartphones, even tablets), speeds below 512 kbps are not going to cut it anymore.

With multiple device access, and heavier web pages, the data download has also increased and I have experienced this myself. Downloading apps on the iPad, downloading mail on 3 separate devices, watching more videos has doubled my usage. I used to barely get to 3 GB download per month last year, and this month, I have crossed 7GB.

But MTNL has been extremely stingy with its 2 Mbps plans, offering a measly 2.5 GB for Rs. 598. As speed increases, so do downloads, and they just don't seem to get this! The rates for high speed broadband are comparable to the unreasonably high 3G rates.

After sifting through all the plans, I have been forced to settle for the Combo 1249, a plan which gives me 75 free calls that I do not want, but at least gives me a 20GB monthly download limit. Hopefully I should be able to keep within that. I was eyeing Combo 1749 (4 Mbps, 50 GB monthly download) but I don't feel rich enough yet. Maybe next year.

You can view MTNL Mumbai tariffs here.

Incidentally, MTNL Delhi has much better broadband plans. Take a look. The Trib 850 plan offers 4 mbps speeds and 10 GB of monthly download for just Rs. 850 per month, or Rs. 8500 if you pay it annually. For once, I wish I lived in Delhi! And I am not even comparing BSNL here, because it would just get too depressing. BSNL not only offers lower rates, but also higher speeds.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FastTAG woes on Mumbai Pune Expressway

Image
Since December 1, 2017, it has been made mandatory for all vehicles sold in India to have a FASTag fitted on the windscreen, either by the manufacturer, or an authorized dealership at the time of sale. The FASTag is a simple to use, rechargeable tag which enables automatic deduction of tolls at toll plazas across the country. The Tag employs RFID technology and is linked to a prepaid account to facilitate recharge. You can link your FASTag to your PayTM, ICICI or HDFC bank account, but will eventually be bank neutral. The FASTag is being promoted actively in India by multiple agencies including NHAI (National Highways Authority of India) and the Indian Highways Management company. Currently it is claimed that FASTag is operational at 400 toll plazas in state and national highways. In a bid to increase adoption, the NHAI recently made FASTags available through petrol pumps. There are obviously multiple benefits of FASTag for a motorist – a faster, more convenient way to p
Read more

5 budget MP3 players to replace your iPod Nano

Image
With Apple finally discontinuing the Nano and Shuffle in 2017, three years after killing the iPod Classic, many people felt that the MP3/DAP (Digital Audio Player) era was finally coming to an end.  The short answer – it’s not true. Unlike the compact Digital Camera which has died a natural death, bowing to the equivalent (or increasingly, better) cellphone camera, Digital Audio Players have survived the onslaught of smartphones. They are no longer as cool as the Walkman and Discman were amongst an earlier generation of youngsters, but they are staples amongst a small but passionate community of audiophiles. Even Apple has chosen to retain the iPod Touch in its product lineup, with options of 32GB or 128 GB capacity. Quite a few friends have pinged me after the demise of Apple’s mid-priced and budget priced DAP offerings, asking for alternatives. Here is a list of products that you can look at, across price points. Do note, that the devices listed here are Nano/Shuf
Read more

Google Map and confusions on Indian Highways

Image
I rely 100% on Google Maps for accuarate navigation within the city, whether its my home town commuting, or a walk to nearby restaurants when I am a tourist in a new place. This year, when my family and I made two long road trips, covering nearly 4000 km in the span of a few days, I naturally turned to my old ally to plan the journey. This is a big transition compared to our earlier journey planning. I still have the physical maps (anyone remember map of Maharashtra? South India?) that we used in my school days to plan trips. Dad and I would trace the routes, calculate the distance and then write down in a notebook where we would make a halt each day. Against each day, we would also write down the petrol consumption, mileage and expenses. Of course, life does not operate according to a map. We still needed to check signboards, ask people when we got lost and take Uturns because we went down the wrong road. Does this change because of Google Maps? Actually, it does
Read more