Tags: MTNL, MTNL Broadband - MTNL Triband, MTNL TriBand, Reviews

MTNL Triband Broadband - A Review

Pros :

1.The most stable ISP in India (a common opinion with few exceptions). This is expected as MTNL is a government company.

2.Cheap rates, and plans affordable to the common man. MTNL has brought broadband to the homes of the middle class.

3.Only ISP to provide speeds upto 2 Mbps on all plans except for Unlimited plan.

4.Very less downtimes, as compared to other ISPs in India.

5.Copper cables being replaced by optical fibres gradually, which reduces speed loss due to noise dramatically.

6.Wide availability. Only prerequisites are an MTNL Landline connection, and obviously a computer with a LAN card. MTNL’s telephone service is spread all over Delhi and Mumbai, and if telephone is available, broadband is available.

7.Great technical staff. Engineers are helpful and ready to serve. If correctly approached, engineers help you solve your problem.

Cons :

1.Pathetic customer care. Executives are low paid, unprofessional sarkari babus, who have no idea about networking or working of a basic operating system. They just have scripted replies, like “unplug and replug the power cord of your router” or ” check if all lights are on in your router”. They have no link with the technical department, and do not know about new plans even weeks after it has been declared as open for booking on the MTNL site. Executives have also been reported to be rude and mean, and sometimes abusive too.

2.Long waiting times. People who have booked broadband connections about 3 months ago, are still waiting for MTNL to install their connections. This can be attributed to the widespread corruption in MTNL offices, and laziness of staff.

3.Too much paper work and lack of e-correspondence facilities. For example, to get your plan changed, you have to submit a letter at your nearest Sanchar Haat, along with a copy of your previous month’s bill.

4.Lack of security. A lot of users have complained of data overusage, or connection misuse(somebody using their username/password to surf from their account). This continues even though port binding has been implemented.

Most Common Plans -

1. DSL 749/849 NU

A night unlimited plan from MTNL, with speeds of upto 2 Mbps.

# Meant for - Heavy downloaders and power users, not meant for people who use their internet connections mainly for surfing the web, sending emails or chatting.

# Rental - Rs. 749 for Delhi, Rs. 849 for Mumbai (quite unfair).

# Download Limit - 1.25 GB for daytime (per month) i.e. from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., and unlimited from 12 p.m.-8 a.m.

# Extra Charge - Rs. 1 per MB after exceeding free MB limit.

2. TriB 199

The most basic and cheapest plan, with minimum functionality and speeds of upto 2 Mbps.

# Meant for - Very minimal users, who have to surf the internet for not more than 8-10 hours a month, not suitable even for watching videos, listening to podcasts etc.

# Rental - Rs. 199 per month.

# Download Limit - 400 MB.

# Extra Charge - Rs. 1 per MB after exceeding free MB limit.

3. TriB Unlimited (Delhi Only)

Truly unlimited, a static IP connection, stable and sturdy, with speeds of 256 Kbps.

# Meant for - Heavy downloaders and hardcore gamers, but not for people interested in watching videos/listening to podcasts, as the low speed acts as a cripple.

# Rental - Rs. 949 per month.

# Download Limit - N/A.

# A drawback for free Rapidshare downloaders - this plan comes with a static IP, so you have to face the waiting time for free users.

Conclusion

Though MTNL is considered to be the best ISP in India, it has many flaws, the greatest being their customer care service. But MTNL is trying to improve constantly, and this is why MTNL is ahead of other ISPs. So my advice is, go for MTNL if

# You don’t plan to use your internet connection much

# You know how to manage a connection, or have at least some knowledge about networking, because the customer care is virtually of no help

# You know whom to approach at MTNL, you have contacts over there, or

# You plan to join India Broadband Forum, where you can get answers to all your broadband problems.