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Cable & Wireless Jamaica "Internet Lies"
I was notified by a customer service representative that Cable & Wireless Jamaica was offering a "special" when you sign up, pay for 512kbps and get 2Megabytes (Mbps). I thought to myself wow, I gotta get in on this, was I fooled? You decide. On June 7th, 2007 I called to sign up for this sweet package, on June 11 2007, 7:32pm it arrived. A box with my brand new Speedtouch ADSL MOdem and activation kit, the technician informed me all I had to do was plug it in and surf because it was already configured. Man was I ready, I plugged it in, opened my browser and waited for Google to load, waited, and waited, 52 seconds later it appeared, this must be a connection error (I thought). I fired up the modem's interface and checked the DSL Connection speed, 96Kbps nothing a modem restart wont fix, I thought foolishly. Seventeen (17) restarts later my connection speed varied from 96/128/160/192/256/320 and back to 128Kbps, this looks like a job for tech suppport. After holding for periods of nineteen (19) minutes, twelve (12) minutes and twenty seven (27) minutes at the stroke of midnight someone answered. After guiding me through the settings which I already knew by heart she deduced that a technician would have to be dispatched to rectify the problem. Twelve (12) phonecalls later on June 16th, 2007 a technician appeared, he deduced that I would need a Reach Modem and probably would recieve a "steady" 1.0-1.5Mbps. On June 20, 2007 a technician arrived with a Paradyne (Reach) Modem and I began to connect at 1088Kbps for two (2) days, tragically once power went and the modem was reset I began to connect at 160Kbps-320Kbps sporadically. I was exasparated, I had called no less than twenty times (20) and the customer service agents knew me by name. I sought the intervention of supervisors and managers and got my case priority flagged until remarkably on June 29, 2007 I began to get a steady 1024Kbps connection. This was however, not to be as a rep notified me on July 02, 2007 that I have been now down-graded to 512Kbps connection and must continue to browse at that speed until it can be rectified. I reluctantly accepted and for two weeks waited for the connection to begin performing at 1024Kbps. On July 16, 2007 I unexplainedly began to connect at 256Kbps, multiple resets have not been able to give me the 512Kbps and as of July 17, 2007 I am still connecting at that speed.
I have been given many excuses as to why this situation has not been rectified, let me explain. Fibre optics transmits a signal for an infinite distance, copper wire like the kind Cable and Wireless uses can only transmit over a finite distance. Coupled with the fact that their existing wires have not been worked in in say 12 years they experience signal loss. This can be rectified in two ways either the ISP re-sends the DSL signal to the subscriber which acts like a modem reset from the server side or they cange the copper wire, that my be slightly damaged for new wire; or this is the tricky one, uprade existing wiring to fibre optics. I know what your thinking, this is going to cost money but history is a funny thing. A few years ago a cellular operator came to this island offering GSM Service, subscribers who were experiencing frequent dropped calls and lack of signal due to prehistoric TDMA network coverage (smaller Coverage) found a solution GSM (wider coverage) the cellular provider in response to decreasing market share upgraded its infrastructure in the wake of complete annihalation. A Monopoly is a terrible thing, it causes people to get complacent, offer mediocre service and lack of care towards its customers. Do not be fooled twice which would you rather? A crisis manager or one who plans, makes decisions and overts disasters?
Anyone can write an article describing customer service woes and it might go unheard. Consider this, I am pleading with you not out of idleness but out out of frustration for you to weigh your own experiences and make an intelligent decision, spread the word.
I have been given many excuses as to why this situation has not been rectified, let me explain. Fibre optics transmits a signal for an infinite distance, copper wire like the kind Cable and Wireless uses can only transmit over a finite distance. Coupled with the fact that their existing wires have not been worked in in say 12 years they experience signal loss. This can be rectified in two ways either the ISP re-sends the DSL signal to the subscriber which acts like a modem reset from the server side or they cange the copper wire, that my be slightly damaged for new wire; or this is the tricky one, uprade existing wiring to fibre optics. I know what your thinking, this is going to cost money but history is a funny thing. A few years ago a cellular operator came to this island offering GSM Service, subscribers who were experiencing frequent dropped calls and lack of signal due to prehistoric TDMA network coverage (smaller Coverage) found a solution GSM (wider coverage) the cellular provider in response to decreasing market share upgraded its infrastructure in the wake of complete annihalation. A Monopoly is a terrible thing, it causes people to get complacent, offer mediocre service and lack of care towards its customers. Do not be fooled twice which would you rather? A crisis manager or one who plans, makes decisions and overts disasters?
Anyone can write an article describing customer service woes and it might go unheard. Consider this, I am pleading with you not out of idleness but out out of frustration for you to weigh your own experiences and make an intelligent decision, spread the word.
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