lets bring iburst to its knees

[MrH]

Sorry, on a whole I've heard more bad stories about connectivity problems in Cape Town than anywhere else in the country. That could be seasonal though I guess.

Cape town's problems started in +_Nov last year when iBurst decided to "upgrade" the system here, before that most CT users were having far less problems than the jhb users, and so far this year CT seems back to good connections in general once again.

As already stated there are some in CT who have almost always had problems but that also applies to some users in all parts of the country.

For those who have continual problems it would be a good idea for them to move to adsl if available.

 

[Fudzy]

For those who have continual problems it would be a good idea for them to move to adsl if available.

The solution I would suggest too.

 

[Ekhaatvensters]

The speed most of us are running at before you are capped is not broadband, after you are capped most people can run faster on a 32kbps modem connection.The capped speed should not be slower than 56kbps

It isn't?
My capped speed runs at the 64kb it should. Its actually what works best because you actually get what you are supposed to. Downloads during the day go at 7-9kb.

I don't know if you even need to bother setting up a site to take action. There has been enough said on these forums and probably hellopeter too.

And I don't know about most people not even getting 256kb connections...

 

[House]

Hey Guys - For your information, iBurst is already on its knees. The company's infrastructure are folding and it can't be stopped.

What iBurst is doing now is ploughing money into advertising to get more users signed up - to make a couple of millions before everything folds.

iBurst is now associated with connection speeds three times lower than that of Telkom's normal phone line. The are more connection drops a day at iBurst than you will ever imagine.

If only the public knew the real connection and download speeds. Unless you live right under a station base, which is not busy, you'll get decent speeds else you will get nothing but waiting hourse to surf the net and continuous drops!

And I don't know about most people not even getting 256kb connections...

btw, Congrats on that speeds!!!! I never came remotely close to it in a 2 year period! Within a couple of months you will aslo feel what it feels like to download at between 2 - 9 kb/s! And then pay more than R700 - R1000 for it!
Over and above this, if you download large files and get dropped before you get to 1GB and have to start all over again!!!!

 

[RVFmal]

I asked you What iBurst's strategies were last year while stating that you cannot keep existing clients with your current packages. you said that you cannot disclose future marketing and sales strategies.

The time is now - iBurst MUST do something to retain its current customer base whilst implementing the ambitious Capex program. Otherwise, as been stated by other forumites, you will be replacing old customers with new suckers!

Seems there is no answer on this. I find it amazing that they are selective in their choice of threads to answer as I believe this is one that they should be taking serious note of and at least replying to.

It makes one wonder how serious they are in retention of existing clients and how much of an impact the possible acquisition of shares by Vodacom is having on their current attitude towards us as consumers. Are they just biding their time and rolling over clients until the deal is signed and sealed thereby leaving those still stuck in contracts to the mercy of the new shareholders?

If it was not for the fact that we cannot get ADSL in our area (and probably won't be getting it in the near forseeable future) and the fact that the 3G and HSDPA products are just rediculously overpriced, we would not be using iBurst. But given this fact it is no wonder they are doing little to appease the consumers in the way of a solid, stable product at more competitive prices.

They seem to be quite happy with the current state of affairs.

 

[MrH]

iBurst works for a lot of users including myself, so I guess before anyone signs up they should have a test done and if there is any doubt as to the speed or stability then DO NOT sign up and just go get adsl.

I agree there is plenty of room for improvement as far as the company that is running it goes, but given the fact that lately Ed has been trying hard to get things sorted out and as long as he keeps at it and keeps us informed as to the status of what they are trying to do without feeding us any bullsh1t then I'll stick around.

The system is good, but the company needs more qualified staff to handle any problems that crop up, Ed is doing his bit as I already said but we can't expect him to be responsible for all the other departments that lack qualified staff.
Been in customer service Ed can only suggest to his company as to what needs to be done and does not have the final word as to what actions are taken.

Just think how demoralizing it must be for Ed to read these threads and see that even after he puts in the effort to help the users all he gets is a mud pie in the face just about every day. (I too have been guilty of the mud pie throwing but that was before Ed put in any real effort in trying to sort out problems)

I say give Ed a chance and if he does not come through then start throwing pies again.

 

[michel]

I did get a test done

iBurst works for a lot of users including myself, so I guess before anyone signs up they should have a test done and if there is any doubt as to the speed or stability then DO NOT sign up and just go get adsl.

I agree there is plenty of room for improvement as far as the company that is running it goes, but given the fact that lately Ed has been trying hard to get things sorted out and as long as he keeps at it and keeps us informed as to the status of what they are trying to do without feeding us any bullsh1t then I'll stick around.

The system is good, but the company needs more qualified staff to handle any problems that crop up, Ed is doing his bit as I already said but we can't expect him to be responsible for all the other departments that lack qualified staff.
Been in customer service Ed can only suggest to his company as to what needs to be done and does not have the final word as to what actions are taken.

Just think how demoralizing it must be for Ed to read these threads and see that even after he puts in the effort to help the users all he gets is a mud pie in the face just about every day. (I too have been guilty of the mud pie throwing but that was before Ed put in any real effort in trying to sort out problems)

I say give Ed a chance and if he does not come through then start throwing pies again.

Ed is a nice guy but he does not hold the purse strings at iBurst and so has no control over what gets doen or not.

I did get a test about 10 days before I started - all worked fine for the first 3 days of installation then they must have changed the settings on the base station - I know they changed the coverage map for my area as I have the original (Red) coverage map that was there when I signed up and it bears no resemblance to the new coverage maps! the test showed 1Mbps - so top notch link, yet 3 days after I started it slowed down to around 800Kbps, and right now its at around 250Kbps for local connections, but for european connections I am getting download speeds of between 4 kbps and 40kbps depending on time of day - the worst connections are after midnight when my downloads normally fail over and over again and a lot of these downloads have to be restarted from scratch, so I am wasting around 50% of my bandwidth just getting things done...

Basically, iBurst advertised 1 product and delivered something totally different. I was speaking to my attorney the other day as he also has an iBurst connection and he is on the point of taking legal action as he has had to sign on with MTN just to be able to run his office (ADSL has a 6 months waiting list in his area and he cant wait that long) !!!

I have had several late nights (3 am) just to able to finish the jobs that I started - basically iBurst has taken away any semblance of a social life because of their lack of delivery!!!

 

[MrH]

Ed is a nice guy but he does not hold the purse strings at iBurst and so has no control over what gets doen or not.
------------
->The above is similar to what I said.
Ed is basically our only connection with iBurst and what I was trying to stress in my last post is that we work together towards a common goal of fixing the problems, and of late Ed has shown interrest and has tried to help the users, but throwing "mud pies" at him is not going to help anyone.
-------------
I did get a test about 10 days before I started - all worked fine for the first 3 days of installation then they must have changed the settings on the base station - I know they changed the coverage map for my area as I have the original (Red) coverage map that was there when I signed up and it bears no resemblance to the new coverage maps! the test showed 1Mbps - so top notch link, yet 3 days after I started it slowed down to around 800Kbps, and right now its at around 250Kbps for local connections, but for european connections I am getting download speeds of between 4 kbps and 40kbps depending on time of day - the worst connections are after midnight when my downloads normally fail over and over again and a lot of these downloads have to be restarted from scratch, so I am wasting around 50% of my bandwidth just getting things done...
--------------
->Strange that your speeds should be worse after midnight as thats when they should if anything be better.
I know the coverage maps have been changed, but from what you're saying it looks like your base station is messed up or they repositioned the antenna similar as to what they did to my base station.

->Still the only way to get this all sorted out is for you to talk to Ed and insist that he should look into it for you since if you had a good connection before it must be possible for it to be corrected.
---------------
Basically, iBurst advertised 1 product and delivered something totally different. I was speaking to my attorney the other day as he also has an iBurst connection and he is on the point of taking legal action as he has had to sign on with MTN just to be able to run his office (ADSL has a 6 months waiting list in his area and he cant wait that long) !!!

I have had several late nights (3 am) just to able to finish the jobs that I started - basically iBurst has taken away any semblance of a social life because of their lack of delivery!!!

..

 

[ubercal]

<deleted by="ic" reason="personal attack"/>.And to Michel , if u dont like iBurst then cancel - its really so simple.For some ppl iburst doesnt work mostly related to tower/signal issue.If u have bad signal there's nothing u can do.Move on over to ADSL.

 

[Ekhaatvensters]

Hey Guys - For your information, iBurst is already on its knees. The company's infrastructure are folding and it can't be stopped.

What iBurst is doing now is ploughing money into advertising to get more users signed up - to make a couple of millions before everything folds.

iBurst is now associated with connection speeds three times lower than that of Telkom's normal phone line. The are more connection drops a day at iBurst than you will ever imagine. (lol..)

If only the public knew the real connection and download speeds. Unless you live right under a station base, which is not busy, you'll get decent speeds else you will get nothing but waiting hourse to surf the net and continuous drops!



btw, Congrats on that speeds!!!! I never came remotely close to it in a 2 year period! Within a couple of months you will aslo feel what it feels like to download at between 2 - 9 kb/s! And then pay more than R700 - R1000 for it!
Over and above this, if you download large files and get dropped before you get to 1GB and have to start all over again!!!!

Hey House, congrats on your other thread too by the way. I'm looking forward to a couple of months from now.. I'm actually downloading at higher speeds than 2-9kb now, I'm capped.

 

[RVFmal]

<deleted by="ic" reason="personal attack"/>.And to Michel , if u dont like iBurst then cancel - its really so simple.For some ppl iburst doesnt work mostly related to tower/signal issue.If u have bad signal there's nothing u can do.Move on over to ADSL.

It sometimes is not as simple as cancelling, especially if you are tied into a contract.

The fact that the product quality has degraded is a huge problem as the product bought 6 months ago is a far cry from what some contracted consumers are getting today. What recourse do they have? They are tied into a now inferior product for another year and a half.

What do iBurst plan to do about this? Yes Ed is doing his utmost to help alleviate the problems, but just because one person at the company is trying does not excuse the apathy that has infected the rest of the management and staff.

Sometimes it is not as simple as cancelling and moving on to another product. There are other factors to consider in this approach. Companies such as iBurst have to understand that they are not doing the consumers any favours, but rely on them to keep their business above water. Unfortunately they do not seem to understand this concept and it means that consumers have to take steps such as complaining bitterly on open forums such as this.

It should never stoop to levels such as personal attacks on individuals, but should be structured in the same way as the TAG have done. Attack the company in the right manner and form and we may see success.

 

[Daniedj]

They can't be that bad. And the rest of RSA will get more satisfaction if Telkom takes a knock.

 

[WebhostingTalk]

They can't be that bad. And the rest of RSA will get more satisfaction if Telkom takes a knock.

You will be suprises

 

[House]

They can't be that bad. And the rest of RSA will get more satisfaction if Telkom takes a knock.

Go right ahead, sign up for a contract...

 

[Ed Hall]

Hi All

Thanks all for the comments.

There is no denying it, some areas are congested with loaded base stations. We are spending R 350 mill this year adding what we call capacity base stations and increasing the coverage where the coverage is not great, i.e those light orange areas. The plan is to roll out 10 a month and it is the congested areas that we are focusing on.

RFMal has raised an important point, and I can say that the whole of iBurst is working arond the clock to get our coverage right, our customer service right and our products right.

Network stability is also high on the list with a host of upgrades planned this year to ensure redundancy across the network, including core services such as mail.

Hope this helps and I will keep everyone updated with progress.

Regards
Ed

 

[fishfly]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hey Guys - For your information, iBurst is already on its knees. The company's infrastructure are folding and it can't be stopped.

What iBurst is doing now is ploughing money into advertising to get more users signed up - to make a couple of millions before everything folds.

iBurst is now associated with connection speeds three times lower than that of Telkom's normal phone line. The are more connection drops a day at iBurst than you will ever imagine.

If only the public knew the real connection and download speeds. Unless you live right under a station base, which is not busy, you'll get decent speeds else you will get nothing but waiting hourse to surf the net and continuous drops!


Quote:
And I don't know about most people not even getting 256kb connections...

btw, Congrats on that speeds!!!! I never came remotely close to it in a 2 year period! Within a couple of months you will aslo feel what it feels like to download at between 2 - 9 kb/s! And then pay more than R700 - R1000 for it!
Over and above this, if you download large files and get dropped before you get to 1GB and have to start all over again!!!!

ohhhh great research done there... yet again you have absolutely NO FACT to back up such rubbish.

I've been with iburst since the beginning yes I had quiet crappy signals till I moved to Hyde Park. Now my speeds are a constant 1Mbps even when downloading I maintain 130kbps... now expain that?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Now here's my issue, Ed what's the point of adding R350 million to what you call "Capacity Base Stations" when

1. Your service of UP TO 1Mbps is fast becoming inferior to Telkoms Closer Plans.
2. Your Pricing structure vs Telkom pricing structure
3. Your accounts department still cannot do their jobs - be it the software or the employees, both are to blame

Yes you may have
1. Faster call center answering time
2. Faster installation time

How do you expect anyone to stay with iburst when there's also Neotel that is coming into the picture?

 

[RVFmal]

Hi All

Thanks all for the comments.

There is no denying it, some areas are congested with loaded base stations. We are spending R 350 mill this year adding what we call capacity base stations and increasing the coverage where the coverage is not great, i.e those light orange areas. The plan is to roll out 10 a month and it is the congested areas that we are focusing on.

RFMal has raised an important point, and I can say that the whole of iBurst is working arond the clock to get our coverage right, our customer service right and our products right.

Network stability is also high on the list with a host of upgrades planned this year to ensure redundancy across the network, including core services such as mail.

Hope this helps and I will keep everyone updated with progress.

Regards
Ed

Thank you for the reply Ed.

Fishfly has asked some pertinent questions and one's that need answering. Are we as consumers now dealing with a company trying to play catch-up? It does seem that at present more time is being spent trying to resolve issues that should have been forseen before they reared their heads.

As such iBurst need to come clean in respects of what the future holds. Are we holding our breaths for comparable products to Telkoms 4Mbps and HSDPA for nothing due to iBurst trying to fix inherent issues? If that is the case I am sure that there are many subscribers who would rather move onto a better product.

All we are asking for is that iBurst keep us in the loop and answer us when we have questions, beit of a technical, accounts or just general information issue. It would be nice if there was one company out there who did not treat us like mushrooms waiting for the "immenent" arrival of something that in reality will not materialise for an inordinately long period of time..