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We shouldn't hope patiently every year during the Budget session in Parliament for the Govt to make ISPs lower the broadband price, etc.

Malaysia should already open up the local loop, and allow for more genuinely-interested companies that would invest in providing broadband Internet access in Malaysia. Not those small-time players who get licenses to provide broadband and then only cherry-pick and provide broadband in selected areas and private dwellings only. This must stop. Otherwise the broadband penetration will slow down. Then can kiss K-ekonomi goodbye.

IN the first place, is it legal for Jaring to unilaterally force those who signed up for the old dial-up package to switch to the costlier package?

And why had Lim Keng Yaik not commented on this, especially when he only recently announced that Internet access will soon be cheaper for Malaysians with the setting up of the (long overdue) Malaysian IX?

Digital divide due to unaffordable price in this country can only be resolved through opening up the market to competition. History shows that competitions lead to efficiency and as a result prices would go down, and those who are not efficient would be wipe out from the market. Our ISP market is basically very protected through various licensing policies. So, I don't see how this problem would be solved in the near future if we continue to operate the way we are operating.

Jaring used to be my choice of ISP. But after an extremely bad experience with them, I would rather have no internet access than subscribing to Jaring. The story goes like this. I subscribed to their wireless SOMA stuff during one of their roadshows (after a conversation with their CEO who exaggeratedly praised the technology that they employed). Furthermore, it comes with a phone call package. Furthermore, the absent of a TM line to my house back then makes their package an attractive option to pursue. The problem is that their connection was so bad. So is their customer service. I remember calling them almost every week to complain about the service and it takes days for my complaint to be attended to. The service is also supposed to be pre-paid. So, when I top up my account late, the phone service was terminated. I thought that the whole subscription was terminated as the thing come in a package. But later, they send me a bill for the internet service connection. I mean they terminated my phone service which come together with the internet connection service and continue to bill me for that! What are they thinking. Of course I refused to pay without a proper written explanation from them (when I returned the station to them), which they promised would be provided within a week but until now (more than 1 year) I still haven't hear anything from them. Well, they forfeited my deposit.

If they can cook up something like this, it doesn't surprise me that they are going to screw up all those dial up subscribers too. Jaring's ethics is definitely something I would not put up with and the best way to tell them is to say bye-bye forever.

I think it should be
digital device instead of digital devide...:)

Send a protest email to enquiry@jaring.my similar to mine.

Dear Sirs,

I herewith wish to strongly protest against your unilateral decission to convert packages without your members decission.

Since i am a member since the early days of Jaring i think as a member i have a say in what you do (otherwise i am not a member).

I do not agree with the conversion and i wish to keep my status as it is!
In case you change the status i will straight aways revert this case to the consumer court, since it involves raising charges by 2.5 times + cancellation of membership.

I furthermore will send a copy of this email to minister Lim Keng Yaik to show my discontent with your disputable unilateral decission.

My membership you can see in the email heading.

I hope you will turn back on this illegal unilateral decission and leave my account alone.

Albert Bohlmeijer

It all started after 9/11 and the "either you are with us or against us" quote that made Musharaff quivered when interviewed on international broadcasting networks. The reason was released recently and that Pakistan was threatened if it does not allow the US the right to use its airspace to fight the taliban.
Our Oxbridge brigade learnt from this episode or could have read it from countless gurunomic books on sale.
"sign up or you are terminated" could be a corporate buzzword.
Having said that, by automatically converting users to the new packages, it could save them cost by eliminating the need for customer feedback, and they get to keep your deposit after three months.

oh dear! this is indeed bad news to me because i maintain jaring account as a back-up too. am still using my jaring mail too (but i use streamyx broadband).

forcing us to convert is like daylight robbery! methink i am going to write a protest letter to jaring too, like the one albert append here.

Ironically, news from across causeway 3 days ago ...

Free wireless broadband access in Singapore public areas for 2 years

By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia |
Posted: 10 October 2006 2035 hrs

SINGAPORE: From January next year, Singaporeans will get to enjoy free wireless Internet in public areas for two years.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong shared this and other initiatives at a dinner marking 25 years of infocomm achievements.

Mr Lee also painted a vision where IT businesses can grow and jobs created as Singaporeans get wired island-wide.

To make sure no one is left behind, he said money is going to be pumped in to help three groups - needy students, the disabled and the elderly get onto this IT journey.

For many Singaporeans, whether at work or play, their lifestyle - from using cell phones to instant messaging - is already digital.

The government wants to take one step further and make it all mobile.

So, from January 2007, it will be rolling out wireless broadband Internet in all public spaces, called Wireless@SG, for free, for the first two years.

Premium and higher access speeds will also be immediately available - but this will come at a fee.

"Thereafter, access is e2xpected to remain highly affordable. So, with just your laptop or PDA, you can enjoy high speed connection to the Internet, send out instant messages and check emails and even make VOIP (voice-over-IP) calls," said Mr Lee.

Singaporeans will be able to surf all over downtown, major town centres, recreational areas like East Coast Park, and maybe even at libraries and fast food outlets.

Three operators - iCELL network, QMax Communications and SingTel - have been appointed to do this.

They will carve out the island into three areas, and complete their deployment by end-September next year.

The government hopes this will grow the broadband market from the current 50,000 users to about 250,000 users in two years.

Business-wise, a new office has been created to drive R&D in the field of Interactive and Digital Media, one of three new areas of development for the Singapore economy.

The aim is to create 10,000 more new jobs by 2015 and contribute $10b to the economy, up from the $3.8b contributed in 2003.

It will target niche areas like creating games, which is already a multi-million dollar industry, within an Asian context,

"It was a leap of faith into the unknown when we took the infocomm plunge in 1981. The lesson from the last 25 years is that we must continue to track closely the changes around us and respond promptly when opportunities emerge. By the time a trend becomes obvious to everyone, we may have already missed the train," said Mr Lee.

Mr Lee noted that many global IT companies are already here whilst opportunities are now opening up in the region.

He said IDA will support promising local enterprises to grow globally and to build capabilities to deliver large-scale projects.

As Singaporeans race forward on the IT journey, Mr Lee says special interest groups must not be left behind.

At least 14 percent of households still do not have computers.

Under an enhanced programme, at least 10,000 needy families with school-going children can look forward to getting a brand new computer for less than $300, bundled with three years of unlimited broadband access.

This programme will be co-funded by the IDA that will come up with $12m while industry partners will contribute another $19m.

Special Infocomm Accessibility Centres will be set up to train the disabled, and senior citizens will get help to click their way through the IT maze. - CNA /dt

Contrary to what UMNO leaders had claimed, the Singapore govt's help for IT access has no quota for race group, just low income families with school-going children, disabled and senior citizens.

"IN the first place, is it legal for Jaring to unilaterally force those who signed up for the old dial-up package to switch to the costlier package?"

I hope this is illegal since the responsibilty to convert lies now in the consumer. This is grossly unfair as it is Jaring who wanted the change and consumers are put into this hassle. Jaring should have 2 plans: 1) for consumers to maintain status quo and 2) some incentives for those who might want to convert to their new plan. It should not be unilateral.
Would be good to hear the views of any lawyers who are on this site.

ktak,

Not only that - these Singapore Govt's initiatives will further boost Singapore in the eyes of expats and foreign companies.

This story was printed from TODAYonline

Singapore, one giant hotspot

Singapore takes a big step in the infocomm age with free WiFi for 2 years from January

Wednesday • October 11, 2006

Christie Loh
christie@mediacorp.com.sg

FROM January, the information age will have another free conduit in Singapore, which allows wireless access to the Internet from almost anywhere on the island. All a person would need is a laptop or mobile phone that can detect Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), a technology that transmits data via radio signals.

Free connectivity will first cover areas with high human traffic, such as Orchard Road and the Central Business District (CBD), before reaching thousands of other designated public areas by September next year.

This zero-dollar unlimited-usage offer will last three years, say SingTel and iCell Network, whose proposals beat six other bidders. As for QMax Communications — the third chosen operator — it is unsure if it will offer free surfing beyond the stipulated two years. "It will depend on the market environment at that stage, as well as what the other operators are offering then," QMax director Alex Tan told Today.

After those "free" years, access is still expected to remain "highly affordable", Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday, during a gala dinner to celebrate the nation's 25 years of infocomm development.

Though the free wireless initiative was greeted with widespread appreciation, telecoms analysts say that people should not ditch their broadband subscriptions as yet, as the public network may raise some security and quality issues.

The free package is for Internet access speeds of up to 512 kilobits per second (kbps), which is 10 times faster than dial-up connections, although slower than SingTel's fixed broadband service, which can go up to 25,000kbps, and StarHub's MaxOnline and Pacific Internet, which can reach speeds of 30,000kbps. Those craving higher speeds on the wireless networks can pay for that service, say the companies, who will reveal details in December.

The free service will enable users to surf seamlessly throughout the country's 5,000 "hotzones" regardless of the service provider. For instance, SingTel has been designated to run the WiFi network in the northern parts, including Bishan and Orchard Road. But Internet access in those areas will be open to subscribers of iCell or QMax.

However, Singaporeans should not expect to easily gain free WiFi access from their home. The hotzones are designed to cover public areas, such as HDB town centres and bus interchanges.

Even if a flat falls within the wired area, the free broadband connection may not be what the user is accustomed to, said Mr Victor Liu, industry analyst of In-Stat, a market research firm. He explained that the signal strength depends on location and the number of people sharing one access point. What is more, there are limits to what WiFi can do, Mr Liu said.

"When you are moving, you can't go online. You have to stay at a table in a coffeeshop. So you can't expect to use WiFi to make mobile calls," he told Today. Also, a free network may create concerns about "hackers", said Mr Liu.

Although passwords could provide some protection, workers handling sensitive information may be hesitant to log onto the public network, Mr Liu said. For this reason, he believes homes and businesses will not look to terminate their fixed broadband and mobile subscriptions once the wireless broadband service is launched.

However, Mr Liu said the long-distance call businesses of SingTel, StarHub, and MobileOne might suffer slightly. This is because the wireless operators will be offering unlimited calls over the Web, which is also known as Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP), as long as a mobile phone or laptop is WiFi-enabled. It is by offering Web-based services such as VoIP and video content that the WiFi operators are hoping to snare subscribers and make money, the three companies said at a media briefing.

The WiFi infrastructure is estimated to cost a total of $100 million, of which $30 million will be subsidised by the Government. Strategically, the infrastructure investment will reinforce Singapore as a place to do business, said telecoms consultant Mike Connors.

Aside from wiring up the country, the Government will work to help certain groups of Singaporeans jump on the infocomm bandwagon, said Mr Lee. About 10,000 low-income households with schoolchildren or disabled family members will pay under $300 to get a brand new desktop computer with three years of free SingNet broadband access. In the first quarter of next year, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports will have set up an Infocomm Accessibility centre, that will provide the disabled with industry-relevant apprenticeship programmes and suitable technology tools. The elderly also have a part in the grand plans. They can attend workshops on how to use web-based applications including Instant Messaging and online mahjong, as well as new hobbies such as digital photography.

"We must create digital opportunities for all Singaporeans, and never allow a digital divide in our society," said Mr Lee.

as long as our sleeping govn does not care about what's happening outside of malaysia, it's a matter of time before african countries such as ghana over-takes us ...

our govn still think they're the tiger of this region ... our neighbor countries are moving forward while laughing at us - s'pore, thai, indonesia, vietnam ...

http://stocktube.blogspot.com

I am changing all my mailling list to my gmail account. I will write in and complain about the forced conversion. If that fails, once my credit with them is depleted, it will be bye-bye Jaring.