Before I begin let me tell you I have used following broadband services Hathway, TATA VSNL and You Telecom. I will share my experiences with each one later.
Before you are going for a broadband connection consider below aspects:
1. Usage:
Ask yourself how much are you really going to use he broadband connection. With usage I am referring to total download and upload you are expecting to do. In case you want to simply check emails and do Social Networking on Facebook, Twitter you can easily opt for plans of up to 1 GB. I will tell about when to go for unlimited plans.
2. Broadband Speed:
Many people fall victim to this publicity stunt by Broadband providers. They say 1 MbPS or 2 MbPS actually that speed is in Bits and you transfer data in Bytes (1B = 8b). So to get the real speed
- Simply divide 1 MB by 8 i.e. 1024 / 8 i.e. 128 KB.
- Then you multiply this figure by 0.6 i.e around 70 to 80 KBPS which is the actual speed you will get.
- Getting promised speed rarely happens no matter what service providers claim.
3. Unlimited Plans:
Many people go for unlimited plans to get uninterrupted service. While the intention is correct there are many hidden elements in the unlimited plans. There is a concept of
- Fair Usage Policy: It is very important to know about this before you finalize any broadband plan.Whenever you opt for an unlimited plan the broadband service provider promises unlimited data transfer but the catch is the speed. The Fair Usage Policy tells you when will you will get what speed. To put it simply if you have unlimited data transfer plan with 2 MbPS speed and you cross downloading example (10 GB of data) then the provider will cut the speed from 2MbPS to 256 KbPS i.e. 8 times slower. So if you have all of a sudden realized your connection is to slow this is the probable reason.
4. Night Plans:
These plans are actually very good if you work during day and want to use internet at night. The Night plans have high speed and lesser rates which works well for working professionals. But opt for a plan which gives full service on weekends.
5. Long Term Plans (6 months up to 1 year):
When you opt for these kinds of plan the logic is simple to save money which is obvious but never go for such long term commitments the first time you opt for a broadband connection instead you check the quality of service for at least 6 months and then take decision. Many times people repent investing thousands in long term plans as service degrades after some time.
6. Installation and Modem Charges:
This is very interesting. Many ISPs provide free installation in India but the catch is you have to pay a monthly fee as Modem charges it may be around Rs 50 per month but in case you calculate there is 10 to 12 % service charges on the final bill which makes it Rs 55 and if you keep the connection for say 2 to 3 years you might end up paying thousands. After certain period you pay more then the device is even worth. So it is wise to pay a one time moderate installation charge.
My recommendation is always go for prepaid connection first and then go for post paid connection after you are satisfied with the quality.
8. My Experiences:
There are dozens of broadband providers in India and choosing one is very difficult as almost all are equally average in some ways. I have experienced around three and found You Telecom to be better in the three I mentioned. I am using it since 4+ years only thing is You is not available in all areas across India.
I hope after reading this article you will be able to take a better decision while choosing your broadband connection in India.
