Users criticise Ooredoo Internet package plans as expensive
Ooredoo users say its products are expensive and don't match their expectations, sources have said.
Although Ooredoo allows 20MB of free Internet access for Facebook, their packages are pricey, analysts and users claim.
Users pay Ks 500 for daily Internet use and they get 30MB free for daily Internet access. This will cost them Ks 15,000 per month.
“My monthly usage of internet is over 2GB. I spent between Ks 10,000 and 15,000 for the top-up cards including Internet and voice-calls bills. If the Ooredoo charges me as this rate, it is not ok for me,” said Tun Tun Win, who surfs the Internet a lot.
Myo Zarni Aung, from Myanmar’s Net, said: “Their Internet rates are very expensive and MPT’s ADSL costs less than their rates. Although Ooredoo said their rates are like international [charges], they didn’t consider our monthly income. I will wait for Telenor. If they charge us like that, I will use MPT. If they charge us Ks 200 for daily usage, it is fair. Ks 500 for daily usage is too much for us. It is not convenient for users who surf the Internet regularly either because they have to give Ks 12,000 for monthly usage of 1GB.
“If their Internet speed is fast, it will good for the companies and people who use email. But it is not convenient for developers. The 1GB plan may be used up within four or five days for them. They would have to pay hundreds and thousands of kyat to finish their tasks. So they won’t chose that package.”
Min Oo, from Myanmar Computer Professional Association, said: “It will cost a lot to use the Internet. Users will choose MPT if they charge us like that. But Ooredoo is cheap for voice calling. We’ll have to wait and see about Telenor. I don’t know why Ooredoo fixed their rates like that. Most users in Myanmar prefer a time-based system for the Internet. If possible, Ooredoo should let them choose what they want between a time-based system and volume-based system. Sometimes the call is suddenly cut off and rings off. Ooredoo said they haven’t got enough infrastructure yet. The Internet link is good at first and later it is slow.”
Myint Zaw, director of sales at Ooredoo Myanmar, said: “We charged with a volume-based system because it is more suitable and better. I saw this week that my Internet bill is charged without using anything by MPT because I didn’t switch off my mobile data. In a volume-based system, we can always switch on the Internet.”
Meanwhile, some users said they can’t use Ooredoo’s SIM cards in handsets and there have many places where signals were lost.
Ooredoo Myanmar plans to cover 7.8 million people in 68 towns and townships. It is stressing that it will provide mobile services for 25 million people by the end of this year.
Ooredoo has finished constructing hundreds of telecommunications towers and 20 were constructed recently.
Although Ooredoo is allowed to sell 20 SIM cards to one person, they later planned to restrict sales to just five SIM cards each. Ooredoo SIM cards which are not subscribed in their server can be used two weeks after they are activated, the firm said.
Ooredoo has distributed Ks 1,000, Ks 3,000, Ks 5,000, Ks 10,000 and Ks 20,000 top-cards in the market through over 6,500 dealership shops and over 30,000 mobile shops.
