Wireless data charged on an 'actual-use basis'

[webfact]

TELECOM
Wireless data charged on an 'actual-use basis'
Usanee Mongkolporn,
Praparee Osathanond
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- FIVE TELECOM OPERATORS yesterday told the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commis-sion that they had been billing customers for wireless data services on an actual-use basis for some time.

The NBTC had called the companies in to ask them to charge customers for the use of data services on the basis of what they actually use. All five of them - Advanced Info Service (AIS), Total Access Communication ( DTAC), True Move H, CAT Telecom and TOT - informed the watchdog they had already been doing so for a long time.

The licensing body also asked them to stop using the term "unlimited" when advertising data packages, and to use the term "continuously" instead and promote understanding of the fair-usage policy among subscribers.

The NBTC is concerned that use of the term "unlimited" will make people believe - wrongly - that they can consume an unlimited amount of data in the packages at the same constant speed of data transfer.

Fair-usage policy, meanwhile, means customers can consume a certain data amount offered by the packages at a high speed of data transfer. However, the data-transmission speed will drop after the usage exceeds that amount, although users can continue to consume an unlimited amount of data.

Meanwhile yesterday, Saree Ongsomwang, chairman of the National Reform Council's committee for consumer protection, said at a separate event that AIS, DTAC and True Corp had introduced new per-second-billing call packages, which were found by the council to be more expensive than existing packages.

The new packages also offer fewer privileges and benefits to consumers, she said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Wireless-data-charged-on-an-actual-use-basis-30254784.html


-- The Nation 2015-02-25

[mwbrown]

I've had the "unlimited" discussion a number of times with the DTAC desk staff, clearly their definition doesn't match mine.

[Anthony5]

Unlimited 3G usage in Thailand means that after you have reached your full speed allowance, you can continue using data for the remaining period at no charge, though at a lower download speed.

With 'NON' unlimited packages, you data will be either cut of once you reach your allocated allowance or you will have to pay for every mB you download after that time.

No problem for me to understand.

[mwbrown]

Unlimited 3G usage in Thailand means that after you have reached your full speed allowance, you can continue using data for the remaining period at no charge, though at a lower download speed.

With 'NON' unlimited packages, you data will be either cut of once you reach your allocated allowance or you will have to pay for every mB you download after that time.

No problem for me to understand.

Yes, I understand this, but it took you two long sentences to explain how it works. The Thai phone companies try to use one word for all of that, and as we know from The Princess Bride "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.".

[KhunBENQ]

Not really different from so called "flatrates" in Europe/Germany which are actually NOT.

The usual marketing swindle / word magic.

Germany: even for fixed line DSL connections there are plans to throttle at at certain amount of monthly data (e.g. 50 GB).

For a real flatrate you would have to pay much more.

The regulator will forbid to use the term "flatrate" for such throttle connections.

Edited February 25, 2015 by KhunBENQ

[FangFerang]

What a smoke screen! The whole issue was formerly addressed as "Cell Phone providers charge for a full minute of use even if the call ended one second into the last minute" (paraphrased).

Suddenly, the issue is addressed tangentially, with the real rub barely mentioned at the end. Instead of following the mandate given them, they came up with "alternate packages" that rip off the consumer even more, yet......not one word from the junta.

"Meanwhile yesterday, Saree Ongsomwang, chairman of the National Reform Council's committee for consumer protection, said at a separate event that AIS, DTAC and True Corp had introduced new per-second-billing call packages, which were found by the council to be more expensive than existing packages. The new packages also offer fewer privileges and benefits to consumers, she said."

[granuaile]

When I purchased my plan, they clearly explained that the speed would drop after the initial high-speed quota had been used...