Neotel’s data usage notifications: Too little and very late
In a broadband environment where data (aka bandwidth) is sold per Gigabyte, an accurate real time data usage monitoring system allowing subscribers to check their usage is considered essential.
Without the ability to check usage in real time subscribers are likely to either underutilize their paid-for data allowance or rack up a high out-of-bundle data bill.
While accurate systems, which are typically available through a dashboard or web based interface, have become commonplace with most broadband providers in this country, Neotel’s NeoConnect and NeoFlex Data customers continue to suffer without a real time monitoring system.
Neotel recently announced that they have now – over two years after first launching their broadband offerings – made the first phase of their data notification tool available to all of their broadband subscribers.
Neotel warned subscribers that since this is the first phase of its ‘data notification tool’ it is important to understand the functionality of the service:
- It is an opt in service providing daily notifications where data usage will be emailed to subscribers
- There will be no notifications between the 1st and 7th of every month
- The data readings in the notifications are delayed by 48 hours which means that the notification delivered is not a real time assessment of data usage
- Should a subscriber exceed his in-bundle data amount, he will receive notifications of his out-of-bundle account status, as well as the rand value exceeded.
It is quite astonishing that Neotel is providing this sub-par data monitoring service to its subscribers who have been waiting for over two years. Neotel has been dangling this tantilising tit bit in front of their user base for what feels like aeons which makes the fact that they are only able to launch a ‘first phase’ now puzzling.
According to one telecoms specialist the sub-par system from Neotel is likely a consequence of system load on their billing and related systems. This will explain why no reports are available at the beginning of the month when billing runs are done.
Another IT specialist who is working with telecoms billing systems says he is astonished by the fact that Neotel does not offer their subscribers real time data. He says that there is no technical reason why this can not be accomplished, especially since Neotel is using a widely supported CDMA standard.
This specialist, who asked to remain anonymous because of his close ties to large telecoms players, said that he is confident that their company can provide Neotel with a far more suitable system – providing accurate near real-time information on data usage on a variety of interfaces – within days.
He adds that there are many off-the-shelf systems which could be used by Neotel making it even more bizarre that it took the company over two years to bring such a sub-standard offering to their subscribers.
Some cynics may argue that Neotel benefits commercially from a poor or non-existent data usage monitor, but it may simply be a case of a disorganized company not focusing enough on what really matters – like good customer service and meeting the needs of its subscribers.
Neotel was asked why the system took so long to develop, and why such a crippled offering is the best they can provide their subscribers at this time, but the company did not respond to requests for information from MyBroadband.
Neotel data usage notifications << Good enough?
Loading ...