Gone are the days of cheap Internet from Telkom. Come 1st July, instead of paying 5,604 bob a month for a 32/128 nailed up connection, we're to fork out 9,188 (~$125) bob a month. For those who cannot afford this exorbitant rates, theY can still fork out 5604 a month for 90 hours a month billed at 1/- as minute and 50 cents in the evenings. Only Telkom can turn ADSL into dial-up! At 5,604 a month, individuals and not only businesses could sign up for a permanent net connection (and a lot did), now they're out.
The thing with ADSL is that when I signed up (January), the service was excellent acceptable. I could get on at almost anytime of the day and get my 128K down. However, of late the service has been really crappy. At peak hours (8-7), at best I get 32K! What I suspect is happening is that they've oversold (too many subscribers for the band they have) their bandwidth, at least on the ADSL side(though people on Jambonet have the exact same problem); they have an ADSL link to Jambonet and since they're on ADSL 1, I hope its at its maximum of 2Mb (with telkom, you can never know). So, with this strategy, Telkom probably hopes to half its subscribers while maintaining what they earn.
Come end of this month, I'm jumping off. There is no way I'm paying 9k for crappy service or 5604 for 90hrs. My only alternatives are either Africa Online's Infinet Wireless for 8k a month of Popote Wireless for 5k a month. Popote wireless are offering a maximum of 115K dial up a month for 5000 (equipment is 15k) and this includes unlimited popote to popote calling. AFOL's offer is 128k for 8k (around 9k with VAT and equipment is 15k). I'm leaning on getting the popote since I would need good justification for paying an extra 3k and I wouldn't need the connection during the day. With popote, I pay what I would pay telkom for their new ADSL dialup with the advantage that its unlimited and heck, popote is in for the money so for sure their customer service will be excellent. However, both these services have just started up and as more people subscribe, the more degraded the service will be (ADSL has the advantage here for the provider since the same band can be resold 20 times) and until the eassy project comes through, the providers are stuck.
Flashcom you ask? They are lost (at least on data). They're offering data at 2.50 and there is no unlimited option.
June 16, 2006 at 2:11 pm
[...] Telkom hikes ADSL rates [...]
June 27, 2006 at 10:47 pm
Yo all guys are right. Ive tried the popote wireless thing and it actually works. The 3,500/- unlimited offer per month gives some dcent speeds but ofcourse you cant stream video and if you are at some places eg Karen I needed an external antenna (another 4000 to the the 16,500 i paid).
I also noticed the bandwidth gulping skype aplication worked quite well for a 3hr presentation I ran from SA.
August 4, 2006 at 4:14 pm
Why is it that my Kshs.6000 per month (unlimited internet and popote to popote calls) deal cannot give me free access to popote customer service at 476 8000????????? I have asked customer service this question countless times and they keep giving me the runaround. So much for customer service!!!!
It seems that the service has already downgraded because i have been trying to dowenload info the whole day and the service keeps on disconnecting.
Also, is their internet service is so great, how come they dont have an email contact for customer service complaints??
Needledd to say, I am unimpressed by the level of service at their service centres.
August 4, 2006 at 4:22 pm
In case anyone at popote would care to call and tell me that my calls to popote customer service are now free, my number is 4768534 popote, and in case that is not working, please call my safaricom line – all of you must have it by now.
August 4, 2006 at 11:20 pm
I’m thinking of subscribing to either flashcom, popote wireless or the mobile office from safaricom. The only problem is I dont have any testimonials that could guide me! What would you say is the best service?
August 14, 2006 at 7:49 pm
I’m interested in this popote wireless thing for my little cafe. This is because I’m getting a raw deal from Telkom’s adsl. Well, the first impression I’ve got from the net makes me skeptical. How come your site (www.popotewireless.co.ke… or .com, whichever you like) is among the few that are always unavailable? Or do you wanna hasten to tell me that i’m some illiterature user who do not know what is happening? Do i care anyway? you need my money remember?
August 21, 2006 at 1:17 am
strange i cannot find an email address for popote wireless, just dropped the use of telkoms adsl services in july, cause of hiked costs and services not uptodate. popotes prepaid service of 1/= per minute seems congested and also wastes a lot of 1/= s per minute, and lots of valuable time, though is cheaper than the rest, and can be used anywhere unlike the adsl on fixed phone line. tried to get the popote email for improvements but the music carried on for 30 mins keeping us dancing, soon they would deprive carnivore of some customers. still if popote would improve on their servers, then i think of staying cause of portability, but if telkom would half their costs then i would also have the fixed adsl line.
Its all a matter of consumer demands to let popote improve and telkom to half their costs and improve too – then we will have improved communications.
dont get whats worth 50cents for 1/= and call it cheap. money thrown away even if it is 1/= is not helping anybody. so please try and get your moneys worth if not more.
August 31, 2006 at 11:06 am
hey, enough for telkom coz im being pissed off by the ADSL service but honestly somewhere in April 2005 that thing was the bomb but after some while its dissapointing and driving away our loyal customers coz many atimes the link is down or on and off and suprisingly enough the RAINS still affect our lines” or am i the one complaining alone?” i now hav a popote unlimited int access for 3500.. gosh this one i need to REFRESH, REFRESH, REFRESH a million times and customers dont like it at all,,
Can somebody Pliz lemmie know how to get a satellite downlink from wherever without going through telkom, n these other ISP’S
Though popotes slow so far its the cheapest in the market. But its time for them to upgrade their systems to manage the growing demand
August 31, 2006 at 11:13 am
HEY TELKOM THIS IS FOR YOU
>>> YOU HAVE TO UPGRADE YOUR SYSTEMS BECAUSE YOU HAVE ALOT OF OUR MONEY COMING YOUR WAY
September 21, 2006 at 10:54 am
Hi guys,
Read through your comments and am glad that some of us appreciate Popote Wireless as a landline with Value Added Features such as Internet(At 3500 Unlimited/5,000 unlimited with unlimited to popote calls)
Dont have any bones to chew with critics, though would like to know if they understand the Technology behind Popote Wireless…CDMA
Kindly GOOOGLE and learn about wirelessLinks and the shared bandwidth phenomenon… If you understand the whole jargon, then I will be glad you refer more prospects to Popote for such a good and pocket suit Internet .
September 26, 2006 at 10:43 am
Hi guys,
I think I will side with Kinyua, we all need to understand CDMA technology.AS for Wangui, 4768000 is not the customer care number, Iam a subscriber, try 100.I am in eastlands I must commend their service.I usually connect to the service pretty welll …occassionally we have trouble , but then again who doesnt?
For all its worth , popote , THUMBS UP! you tried what many kenyans were afraid of giving a shot.
October 5, 2006 at 8:17 pm
I also agree with Kinyua and Pinky. Even the “BIG GUYS” who’ve been in the market for years still have problems. It’s all about subject to improvement and I’d ask Jeff if his Internet is ok coz l guess Popote improved its network and am glad to give them prospect as Kinyua says.
We don’t have to bad mouth the company since its very new and it has done us great and due to competition, you’ve seen what Telkom is now doing. It launched its RUIM cards on 29th Sept.(I wonder how many people know what to do with them). As time goes by, communication will be so cheap like in India.
So Popote keep the Spirit but we expect more and more.
October 6, 2006 at 3:08 pm
hi
I tend to wonder why citi hoppa was given licence to operate at the city center what the government seems not to understand is the fact that instead of it making life easier its making it harder eg i come from kawangware 46 and every morning i have to walk past two stages(instead of them stoping there) only to go and que and end up coming to work late and if thats not enough que again every evening!!
Am tired of queing, and again they also seem to have adopted the matatu systems of peak and off peak hours (does peak and off peak apply to peoples salaries.
December 16, 2006 at 12:03 pm
I tried out Flashcom’s 1 year 15,500 modem contract which promised to give me 115Kb up and down free for the first three months and 3950/= after wards for the next 9 months unlimited Internet. The most I ended up getting was 32/45kb on a very good day. That was on top of some crappy customer service. Eventually after some few weeks of use I had no option but to pull out. Flashcom breached the contract by not providing me with the service they had promised to give. On top of that the first three weeks was not bearable. Calls to Customer care always stated that Flashcom was upgrading equipment but even after the upgrade nothing was noticeable.
I guess ADSL is my only option for now, just had to fork out the 9k, at least I am reselling bandwidth to my three neighbours, hafta keep my computer on 24/7, 2500 per person is really affordable, but the previous 1300 was even much more affordable.
What’s really got me interested are the latest price wars between service providers. It now costs less to call Safcom from Celtel than it costs for Safcom to Safcom calls. It also costs lesser to call cell phones from Flashcom than it costs with Telkom. I wonder what Safcom and Telkom will do now. Let me just play the wait and see game. My look on it, Safcom to Safcom calls might go down to 5/= a piece, SMS probably 1/= or free, who knows.
January 8, 2007 at 1:41 am
Hello,
Greetings from Denmark.
My friend has moved to Kenya, Narobi – Karen, from Italy.
He is danish.
He is not in any way, a IT geek. But he need a good Internet connection in Karen – What can you recommend?
Will http://africaonline.com/infinet/home.html work in Karen!?
Best regards
Frans
February 7, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Hi,
After reading most of you Mails i could not excatly decide which is the best, reliable and appropriate ISP in Kenya.
I am planning to have a personal internet cnnection in my house with just one computer for some official use and with wireless connection. Can somebody advice me on the best and cheapest ISP- Plus the approximate connection fee.
Thanks
Peter
February 7, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Hi,
After reading most of you Mails i could not excatly decide which is the best, reliable and appropriate ISP in Kenya.
I am planning to have a personal internet connection in my house with just one computer for some official use and with wireless connection. Can somebody advice me on the best and cheapest ISP- Plus the approximate connection fee.
Thanks
Peter
July 29, 2007 at 1:03 pm
I really do not know what to do now, with the adsl hiked prices i shifted to the kenya data network but their services are as unreliable as those of adsl. what beats me is that there is no one single person who has given a testimonial that his isp is up to date. fellow kenyans can you please help us, we are young kenyans trying to make an honest living but with the high rates we will be forced out of business. my litlle cybercafe in kisii towm is now almost cpllapsing because of unreliability from the isp providers!!!!! please can someone out there give some insight on this matter.
February 19, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Good evening? i want to Know the rates that ISPs provide to cyber clients and the preferences that come with it please just to be on the save side.
I will be pleased if you provide me a solution.
March 3, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Hi Anunda,
I heard Popote Wireless are providing internet to cybers within Nairobi at a Cost of Kes 15 K per Month For a dedicated 512 MB
They are using a radio link and a line of site to connect.
You should call the office num 476 7683 for them to do a site survey.
My pal told me that they don’t charge for the survey and will always give you a tailored solution at minimal cost.
hope it helps,
jus give them a call
April 12, 2008 at 9:09 pm
Hi pple,
It’s nice to see you guys react with current issues as the connection options available to us in Kenya. I am a consumer of adsl unlimited. Their service is problematic and they dont prefer to take up responsibilities when problems arise like down times.
I have to say that the only thing that may seem to bail us out with time is competion and may be the full implementation of the fibre optic infrastrature. We are all concerned…
Lets keep the exchange open.
April 15, 2008 at 11:33 am
hi guys for someone who wants a reliable internet connection and also voice try flashcom. they are good. as for that as that guy who needs internet in karen and its environs flashcom is the best option coz they have a base station there.
April 16, 2008 at 1:43 pm
hi pple, i require an honest quote on internet connection from a reliable service provider. the quote should be as detailed as possible, including gadgets required. i intend to use this in kiserian. please help.
May 2, 2008 at 7:33 am
Hey DON”T switch to popote wireless. The connection is worse than telkom’s. I use it and at tiomes iot takes 13min to load google’s TEXT. When you call they say they are rectifying but they do nothing.
August 6, 2008 at 2:27 am
hi ppl
i have been with telkom adsl for 2 yrs now have been getting lots of probs but jambonet has upgraded their service last month and the service is very much better now with gud speeds. I run a cyber too with the adsl and it has no probs upto now.