Leave Jaring alone
K Balan<br>Kuala LumpurPublished: Jan 21, 2001 11:45 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
The recent announcement that Telekom Malaysia is looking into acquiring Jaring from Mimos Bhd is rather sad news for me, a Jaring subscriber. Logically, Jaring has the capability, expertise and resources to take over TMnet and I am sure Internet users who have used both Jaring and TMnet would agree.
Having experienced TMnet's Internet services before, I would have no choice but to turn to other service providers in the future if the acquisition becomes a reality. I would rate TMnet as the worst among all ISPs in the country. The difficulty in logging in, slow in speed, frequent disconnection... have become a permanent feature in TMnet's service. Answers to enquiries are hardly looked into and, if ever, comprise mostly automated ones which sometimes have nothing to do with the queries.
The acquisition of Jaring by Telekom will bring about a deterioration of Jaring's services, currently rated as the best ISP (Internet service provider) in the country. If the expertise of Jaring is properly utilised, then there is hope that eventually TMnet will be a reliable ISP. But as in other privatised entities, services hardly improve, and we can forget about aspiration to be the best when only monopoly and monetary benefits matter most.
Although Jaring uses the Telekom Malaysia's network, it is still able to provide reasonably fast connection, hassle-free log-in, rare incidents of abrupt disconnection. Jaring also provides quick answers to queries, prompt notices and announcements, underlining high importance and priority placed on customer service and satisfaction. Its online payment option made available to public is also a plus.
Like other government-controlled privatised agencies, Telekom Malaysia's existing services, such as the fixed line, are hardly satisfactory. The number of complaints by the public, often highlighted in the media, never seems to decline. Realising this, the public are slowly turning to other fixed line service providers although Telekom's monopoly is evident and sometimes unavoidable especially in the rural areas and small towns where there are no other fixed line service providers.
Telekom's priority should be to restore its credibility and reputation in the eyes of the Malaysian public. It should concentrate on improving existing services and avoid further diversification or expansion for the time being. What is the point of expanding when existing services are poor and no serious effort was made to correct the situation?
The government, who holds the controlling stake in the company, should allow other ISPs to grow and consolidate for the benefit of users who can utilise the options available to them before resolving to stick with the service provider of their choice . Of course this will take some time as apart from TMnet and Jaring, other ISPs are quite new and have yet to have a strong subscriber base.
I hope that the government, the minister concerned as well as Telekom Malaysia and Jaring's management will come to their senses and look at the overall picture and public interest, before making any decision which may have a huge impact on the ever increasing Internet users in the country.
Having experienced TMnet's Internet services before, I would have no choice but to turn to other service providers in the future if the acquisition becomes a reality. I would rate TMnet as the worst among all ISPs in the country. The difficulty in logging in, slow in speed, frequent disconnection... have become a permanent feature in TMnet's service. Answers to enquiries are hardly looked into and, if ever, comprise mostly automated ones which sometimes have nothing to do with the queries.
The acquisition of Jaring by Telekom will bring about a deterioration of Jaring's services, currently rated as the best ISP (Internet service provider) in the country. If the expertise of Jaring is properly utilised, then there is hope that eventually TMnet will be a reliable ISP. But as in other privatised entities, services hardly improve, and we can forget about aspiration to be the best when only monopoly and monetary benefits matter most.
Although Jaring uses the Telekom Malaysia's network, it is still able to provide reasonably fast connection, hassle-free log-in, rare incidents of abrupt disconnection. Jaring also provides quick answers to queries, prompt notices and announcements, underlining high importance and priority placed on customer service and satisfaction. Its online payment option made available to public is also a plus.
Like other government-controlled privatised agencies, Telekom Malaysia's existing services, such as the fixed line, are hardly satisfactory. The number of complaints by the public, often highlighted in the media, never seems to decline. Realising this, the public are slowly turning to other fixed line service providers although Telekom's monopoly is evident and sometimes unavoidable especially in the rural areas and small towns where there are no other fixed line service providers.
Telekom's priority should be to restore its credibility and reputation in the eyes of the Malaysian public. It should concentrate on improving existing services and avoid further diversification or expansion for the time being. What is the point of expanding when existing services are poor and no serious effort was made to correct the situation?
The government, who holds the controlling stake in the company, should allow other ISPs to grow and consolidate for the benefit of users who can utilise the options available to them before resolving to stick with the service provider of their choice . Of course this will take some time as apart from TMnet and Jaring, other ISPs are quite new and have yet to have a strong subscriber base.
I hope that the government, the minister concerned as well as Telekom Malaysia and Jaring's management will come to their senses and look at the overall picture and public interest, before making any decision which may have a huge impact on the ever increasing Internet users in the country.
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