For the last few years, wireless carriers and manufacturers have been pushing smartphones as the way to go. But now that a growing number of Malaysians are using them, the system seems like it's starting to choke.
Last Aidilfitri, a huge number of mobile users, eager to make raya calls and send sms to send in their wishes couldn't get phone service because most areas around the nation's capital was so congested with cell traffic (Im not sure what happened outside Klang Valley).
Some say such congestion could be more common this year because of nearly 30.379 million subscribers in total, or a 106.2% penetration rate (as of Q4 2009, Source MCMC), increasing reliance on cell phones, continuing consumer demand for data-intensive mobile programs like video and audio, fourth-generation cell networks that are not in place for most of the country and inadequate wireless spectrum to meet customer needs.
In my humble opinion, if anything, these companies should have been planning for the anticipated smartphone uptake in heavy traffic markets that started happening in the last quarter of 2008 and first quarter of 2009.What’s driving usage on the network and driving these high usage situations are things like video, or audio that keeps playing around the clock, and those contents are normally comes from foreign countries (not hosted in Malaysia), which increase the congestion.
Currently, most of the operators are concentration on improving all of their systems so that they can begin to give customers real-time information about their data usage and begin to get customers educated. Longer-term, there’s got to be some sort of a pricing scheme that addresses the usage.
Some celcos are also working furiously to upgrade its 3G, or third-generation, service by going to what is called a higher version of "High Speed Packet Access (HSPA). These companies say HSPA should result in doubling peak data transmission speeds.
Two local celcos are working "quickly and aggressively" on network enhancements through networks and facilities collaboration.
They are giving particular attention to big markets like big cities where usage is high. They are adding cell towers, building and upgrading antenna systems to boost performance in high-traffic areas, like convention centers and public transportation routes.They are also adding radio network carriers to make sure that we have maximum capacity on the spectrum that’s available.
Anyway, we are discussing in our MIS class what happened to C last raya when its cellular network was down for 10 hours (some said 3 days) during last raya. To our Guru, it’s totally unacceptable. In fact, the big boss should fire a few people due to the incident.
The only good thing about this is that C normally manage to restore it’s network within 4 hours, but 10 hours is too much. Customers did not expect the entire network to go down for 10 hours. I am user of M, but I still understand what had happened as M was also having data network failure for one week which was bad to me as I was not able to browse and use my facebook from my phone for 1 week.
The main reason that I believe people use C network is because of it’s network coverage and reliability. They are currently no 1 in the country.
Any mobile users, dislike operators that leave their customers in dark when their network goes down. After the network has been restored, C should immediately send out an SMS making an apology to their precious customers. Who can live without mobile services now days?
If you were in one of the 'Ini adalah Wilayah C', you might have trouble in making and receiving calls using C line last Aidilfitri. C’s network went down on 24 September, 09, started about 9.30am leaving more than a million C users in the dark for more than 10 hours.
Although C claims the problem has been resolved, yet a number of users has been complaining on the 25 September 09 that they were some difficulties in making and receiving call, plus delayed SMS & slow mobile broadband.
Back then C was the leading telco in the country, because it had the right branding and network quality was great.
The new C that we see today is different. They are at least 5 operators sharing the traffic on Ce’s GSM network(U, X, TT, New M, R) making it the largest GSM network in the country with one of the highest traffic. The question here is, can C handle this traffic? Apparently, C customers have seen the results. Are they planning for more MVNOs?
Their 3G network currently has the highest traffic in the country with over 400,000 (or more) mobile broadband users and these numbers does not include normal data usage on the phone and other sources (such as the TNB Meter readers, ATMs..et)
When a user has problems with their mobile service, the 1st thing they would do is to contact the customer service. When C’s network went down during that period, the second thing went down was their Helpline(1111), and at the same time they were no immediate updates on C’s website or their accounts on social networking until a couple hours later but it was too late.
It is important to use all sort of communications to let their own customers know about the network breakdown before even the customers find out, but C choose to leave them in the dark. Even yesterday, no sms or apologies where sent out to customers.
What C should have done:
Update their social networking status- They should have communicated with a number of their mobile users using their existing accounts in social network such as Facebook.
Update their website- Their web team was extremely slow in putting up a notice on their website when the network went down. Supposedly, the notice should be up within an hour but I guess not many users even bothered to visit the C website thanks to its superb design and outdated contents.
Domestic Roaming- When C network was having problem, M and D network did not had any issues. If only there was a domestic agreement signed between these telcos, this post won’t even exist because they wouldn’t be any users complaining.
Send an apology message- Did C notice that a large number of people was cursing them on twitter? If I were C, I would have sent a direct apology message to all these C customers including those cursing for not being able to call a Celcom number.
Rebates/Discount on billing/airtime- Should C customers get free calls/usage for one day? Let’s see how C value their customers.
In the end, C did gave the customers discounts and such (free calls on certain period) to win back the customers. This was done only after a letter was sent by the regulator to them asking them to look on this issue.
But I believe that many of their loyal customers are affected that day and switch to others in the market. Whether C manage to win them back, only time will tell. But other providers should learn from C's mistakes in handling communications during crisis.
Whether its technology or network issue, one should know that customers is the key to their business to ensure long term survival in the market.
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