Is there a market for a full service consultant for getting net access via a Sim router?

[Jingthing]

Just wondering here.

Not something I would want to do.

But perhaps this would be good niche business for a Thai person, perhaps a partner of a f-rang that can help them get set up.

 

So the idea:

 

Imagine you want Sim card in a router net access.

 

But you don't know which IP Sims will work for your location, if any?

 

So you call this consultant.

 

He comes with active SIMS of all the providers and does speed tests in your location.

 

He advises which SIM is best, knowing all the current best deal plans on Shoppee or Lazada.

 

He advises on specific routers. 

 

He brings SIM routers to resell for a small profit if you want that convenience. Optional, maybe not worth it. 

 

He talks you through the initial activation and plan starting actions if language is an issue.

 

He follows up seeking feedback on your experience with your IPs SIM which might help him make better recommendations to new customers. 

 

Do you think there is a demand for that?

 

If so, what price would people think is fair?

 

If there is a demand the money needed to setup would be quite low, getting all the test Sims, doing research on the deals, facebook ads, etc.

 

[Bill97]

Oh yes gigantic demand, company will be bigger than Microsoft in 3 years 

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, Bill97 said:

Oh yes gigantic demand, company will be bigger than Microsoft in 3 years 

Well I expected that kind of sarcasm but I was obviously wondering about a very niche type of micro business. Not for me, but if it is something that has a demand, perhaps a good niche for other people (as the need if there would be location dependent).

 

My inital guess is that such a service might be worth about 1000 baht. Visiting the location, the testing could be done in minutes, the main thing being paid for is the consultant having active Sims of all the IPs saving the customer of the hassle of getting multiple test sims himself. Also saving the customer the TIME that would be involved in the process to do multiple SIM testing himself. 

[Chivas]

very good idea indeed

[digbeth]

It'd be easier if the company selling the router let you take it home, test drive it and return it if it's not for you

 

due to the government requirement regarding mobile simcards sign on requiring ID, it'd be hard to get the router with multiple sims to try, a good network engineer might already has all the tools needed to see the signals, evaluate what level of data you actually need according to your usage, but these engineers aren't cheap

 

there used to be a networking dealer company that let you pay a 20-30% deposit, and would let you have the brand new gear or a demo unit, after you have satisfied that the thing you want works, pay the remainder to get a new one or keep the ones they sent, but they only deal in certain brands and then the selection of mobile router quite limited, an independent retail shop could offer this with selection from all brands

a lot of online retailer already has generous return policy so you can try them all out and return them if you need to

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, digbeth said:

It'd be easier if the company selling the router let you take it home, test drive it and return it if it's not for you

 

due to the government requirement regarding mobile simcards sign on requiring ID, it'd be hard to get the router with multiple sims to try, a good network engineer might already has all the tools needed to see the signals, evaluate what level of data you actually need according to your usage, but these engineers aren't cheap

 

there used to be a networking dealer company that let you pay a 20-30% deposit, and would let you have the brand new gear or a demo unit, after you have satisfied that the thing you want works, pay the remainder to get a new one or keep the ones they sent, but they only deal in certain brands and then the selection of mobile router quite limited, an independent retail shop could offer this with selection from all brands

a lot of online retailer already has generous return policy so you can try them all out and return them if you need to

You're focused on the router.

My focus was the Sims.

It's a huge hassle for an individual to personally buy multiple Sims to test.

So the idea is to offer convenience and hassle avoidance.

 

[digbeth]

if you have access to or keep a sim from back home with roaming, single roaming sim could potentially access all network in Thailand in the right equipment relatively easily, no need to swap sim

[ChaiyaTH]

That is the most silly idea i heard in ages, nothing personal.

[HandsomeTallFarang]

Terrible idea

 

-Non existent demand. If anyone needs a dedicated wifi router they would just use Ethernet as it's many many times cheaper than trying to get GBs out of a SIM plan. And anyone even knowing what a SIM card is as that you can use a router instead of a phone for it, doesn't need a "consultant" for what is essentially plug and play technology.

 

- You don't need a router for a sim card, even old phones have wifi hotspot mode. You can just use an old phone if you really need a "SIM router". Lots of people have old phones doing nothing.

 

-Assuming Thais would even care enough to compare speeds in the first place, and to do so with the help of a "consultant" at their expense. If they can just plug it in and it will load Facebook whatever crappy soap operas they watch, the speed / coverage isn't even a consideration. The cheapest price is.

 

[FriendlyFarang]

7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Do you think there is a demand for that?

Nearly zero, the little demand that might exist won’t make a profitable business

[Jingthing]

31 minutes ago, HandsomeTallFarang said:

Terrible idea

 

-Non existent demand. If anyone needs a dedicated wifi router they would just use Ethernet as it's many many times cheaper than trying to get GBs out of a SIM plan. And anyone even knowing what a SIM card is as that you can use a router instead of a phone for it, doesn't need a "consultant" for what is essentially plug and play technology.

 

- You don't need a router for a sim card, even old phones have wifi hotspot mode. You can just use an old phone if you really need a "SIM router". Lots of people have old phones doing nothing.

 

-Assuming Thais would even care enough to compare speeds in the first place, and to do so with the help of a "consultant" at their expense. If they can just plug it in and it will load Facebook whatever crappy soap operas they watch, the speed / coverage isn't even a consideration. The cheapest price is.

 

Yes you can use a phone but then your phone will drain rapidly unless you USB tether it in which case your phone is literally tied up.

Also with a phone there are no wired ports.

On my sim router I find use for two ports.

I see a phone as a temporary solution. 

A sim card router can become your primary net access solution to use instead of DSL or fiber.

There are SIMs with unlimited data.

I was imagining this more as a service mostly for expats.

Part time expats in particular don't need to commit to a more expensive wired solution.

[Jingthing]

20 minutes ago, FriendlyFarang said:

Nearly zero, the little demand that might exist won’t make a profitable business

Quite possibly. 

It's not something I would do 

But I would have used such a service before I did it myself just to know which IPs if any had adequate coverage in my location which is a high floor condo which I understand can be problematic. 

[BenStark]

3 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

But I would have used such a service before I did it myself just to know which IPs if any had adequate coverage in my location

There are free apps for that, why would anyone pay for it

[FriendlyFarang]

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Quite possibly. 

It's not something I would do 

But I would have used such a service before I did it myself just to know which IPs if any had adequate coverage in my location which is a high floor condo which I understand can be problematic. 

How much would you have been willing to pay for this service?

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, BenStark said:

There are free apps for that, why would anyone pay for it

There are not.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, FriendlyFarang said:

How much would you have been willing to pay for this service?

1000 baht if they had Sims for all the ips.

[NextG]

59 minutes ago, ChaiyaTH said:

That is the most silly idea i heard in ages, nothing personal.

It’s literal nonsense; made up by someone too lazy(or worse) to go to the mall to obtain SIM from the relevant networks and to stick them in their phone to test. Or just too obtuse to simply order a standard 50 baht or less SIM online. 
Then further nonsense with regard to having to purchase LTE modems for ‘clients’ to test and buy. So for each model he would need a demo unit, as clients won’t be happy to buy a demo unit at full price. Furthermore, if he sold units as new, then who would be responsible for the warranty? In whose name would it be?

Ridiculous. 
A service perhaps for a bedridden person. 
 

 

 

 

[BenStark]

12 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

There are not.

Because you don't know that doesn't mean there aren't

 

There are apps that scour the signal of all ISP available and show the signal strength

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, ChaiyaTH said:

That is the most silly idea i heard in ages, nothing personal.

Well no skin off my <deleted> either way.

I wouldn't do it myself and I won't profit if someone else tries it and does well.

Just put it out there because it's something I would have used.

[NextG]

43 minutes ago, FriendlyFarang said:

Nearly zero, the little demand that might exist won’t make a profitable business

Everyone else can follow simple instruction in order to find the best solution. Others think they know a better way and constantly second guess everything and end up with sub-optimal ‘solutions’ and ‘ideas’. 

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, NextG said:

It’s literal nonsense; made up by someone too lazy(or worse) to go to the mall to obtain SIM from the relevant networks and to stick them in their phone to test. Or just too obtuse to simply order a standard 50 baht or less SIM online. 
Then further nonsense with regard to having to purchase LTE modems for ‘clients’ to test and buy. So for each model he would need a demo unit, as clients won’t be happy to buy a demo unit at full price. Furthermore, if he sold units as new, then who would be responsible for the warranty? In whose name would it be?

Ridiculous. 
A service perhaps for a bedridden person. 
 

 

 

 

You publicly put me on ignore but you're still obsessed with insulting me anyway.

Truly atrocious posting behavior.

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, NextG said:

Everyone else can follow simple instruction in order to find the best solution. Others think they know a better way and constantly second guess everything and end up with sub-optimal ‘solutions’ and ‘ideas’. 

In other words if people don't mindlessly follow your barked orders without adequate explanations they get put on  your caca list and you'll start stalking them.

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, BenStark said:

Because you don't know that doesn't mean there aren't

 

There are apps that scour the signal of all ISP available and show the signal strength

Post it.

My understanding is that you must do your own testing with actual Sims in your specific location.

[NextG]

53 minutes ago, HandsomeTallFarang said:

Terrible idea

 

-Non existent demand. If anyone needs a dedicated wifi router they would just use Ethernet as it's many many times cheaper than trying to get GBs out of a SIM plan. And anyone even knowing what a SIM card is as that you can use a router instead of a phone for it, doesn't need a "consultant" for what is essentially plug and play technology.

 

- You don't need a router for a sim card, even old phones have wifi hotspot mode. You can just use an old phone if you really need a "SIM router". Lots of people have old phones doing nothing.

 

-Assuming Thais would even care enough to compare speeds in the first place, and to do so with the help of a "consultant" at their expense. If they can just plug it in and it will load Facebook whatever crappy soap operas they watch, the speed / coverage isn't even a consideration. The cheapest price is.

 

This is also poor.. There are many laptops sold these days without a LAN port. Tablets too. 
The point of WiFi is that you aren’t tethered to any wires, so how could Ethernet be a substitute?

Phones are more expensive than MiFi and LTE routers and are not necessarily suitable for long term usage. 
Unlimited data for 999 baht per annum… explain how Ethernet would be cheaper?

 

Honestly, it’s hard for me to read some of the things written here. I’m out. 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, NextG said:

This is also poor.. There are many laptops sold these days without a LAN port. Tablets too. 
The point of WiFi is that you aren’t tethered to any wires, so how could Ethernet be a substitute?

Phones are more expensive than MiFi and LTE routers and are not necessarily suitable for long term usage. 
Unlimited data for 999 baht per annum… explain how Ethernet would be cheaper?

 

Honestly, it’s hard for me to read some of the things written here. I’m out. 

It must be rough to learn that not everyone is a technical genius at your elevated level. Oh the humanity. 

[Liverpool Lou]

8 hours ago, Chivas said:

very good idea indeed

His post above yours indicated that he doesn't appreciate sarcastic comments.

[Jingthing]

I think the consensus here is that this is not a good business idea.

That doesn't necessarily mean that it wouldn't work if marketed well but can hardly be seen as encouraging to anyone who might have been interested. 

 

Cheers

[NextG]

9 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Why do you grandly announce something to him as though it's a terrible punishment when it has absolutely no effect, whatsoever, on him?

How do you know that it has no effect?

 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, NextG said:

How do you know that it has no effect?

 

Yeah because as you have shown well you can publicly ignore a member but still manage to stalk him.

[Liverpool Lou]

4 minutes ago, NextG said:

14 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Why do you grandly announce something to him as though it's a terrible punishment when it has absolutely no effect, whatsoever, on him?

Expand  

How do you know that it has no effect?

Because it cannot have any effect.  How can your ignoring him possibly affect him?