| |
Home page |
'Dhiraagu says 67% reduction in Internet charges. What a misleading ad.' Comment from Dhivehi Forum, May 2001
Dhiraagu has not reduced anything from the tariff for economy hours (2200 hrs - 0800 hrs) for both 33.6k and 56k connections. What is the implication of this? This is the cheapest hour and by dialling 380380 you can get 33.6k (that's what they say but actually its about 6k) for 55 laari for each minute. 1 hour of internet time in Maldives using 33.6K modem at 55 laari per minute = US$2.80 Australian$5.50 UK£2 By dialling 381381 you can get 56k (that's what they say) for 75 laari for each minute. 1 hour of internet time in Maldives using 56K modem at 75 laari per minute = US$3.80 Australian$7.50 UK£2.70 The less rich people in the society use Internet during this time and they do not benefit from Dhiraagu's recent price cuts because Dhiraagu has reduced nothing for that hour. Dhiraagu has of course reduced the rates for peak and off-peak hours but during these times government offices and private companies like travel agencies are using the Net mostly. Its unlikely that students would also connect to Net during these hours. Most government offices have already taken the leased line of 64k for MRF15,000 per month from Dhiraagu so that they don't need a price reduction in normal dial-up rates. Rf15,000 = US$1275 Australian$2,500 UK£900 So once again in this irony of a monopoly gone bad, the rich get the benefits and the poorer end up worse. Of course Dhiraagu can say that they have introduced 4 good packages. But what benefit does a consumer, who normally spends MRF400 US$34 Aus$66.50 UK£24 each month for Internet access, going to get from a package of MRF800? US$68 Aus$133 UK£48 Or does the consumer knows that this package offers only 4 free hours and that the package of MRF100 US$8.50 Aus$16.50 UK£6 offers only ONE free hour when compared to earlier prices. Dhiraagu says in their ads that they give 40 FREE hours for MRF800. They write FREE in bold letters. Aren't the customers buying the 40 hours after paying MRF800? So how could it be said as FREE? Just typical of Dhiraagu. They said that alarm call was free in one of their ads which appeared around December 2000. But in a small print at the bottom of the ad, barely visible to the reader, they said that each alarm call would be charged as a local call. Just the same way they introduced free connection to mobile phones when a customer buys phones from their teleshop. This was abusing their monopoly power as they were using this power to promote a different product in which they were competing with normal business parties. For example, ShoeMart cannot give a free connection for customers who buy mobile phones from them. But they have to compete with Dhiraagu teleshop. Just the sameway Microsoft was prosecuted because US government felt that it abused its monopoly in producing its OS (Windows) in promoting its browser (internet explorer). But this is not USA and this is Maldives where they can get away with anything. There are no trade commissions to look into such matters, no justice at all. Comment on Dhiraagu charges before the 'price reductions' Dhivehi Forum, October 2000 I just can't believe the cost of internet access in the Maldives. Too much? It's not damn too much, its way over too much. It's something else. I dont think it actually is a problem of Dhiraagu. No way! They are a company and why do you think companies are set up? For profit, why else? Who wouldn't want to get as much as they can (if they can) even if it means squeezing everything out of people. I think that the cost of internet access in the Maldives would be one of the highest in the world, and we say that we "are" prospering. Which way? At a time like this when the internet is considered a basic necessity for the people, how would the people be able to reach out for the info they need? Telecom prices in Maldives would not be so high if not for the monopoly of Dhiraagu in the market. We just need to introduce or give chances for more telcom companies. Hey man I do agree with you. It is true that these guys want to loot the public or they want to keep the people of Maldives away from the revolution that is taking place in the world. But what could we do about it? The ones who should read about this have no internet acesses. So actually there is no point in writing this here. We should do this in a way that the general public could hear and think of this. Suggest a way that this could be made possible. And our people would start to think of this. |
|
Maldives Culture is an independent internet magazine of Maldivian cultural issues.
Editors and translators: friends and Michael O'Shea, Australia
We invite contributions from Maldivians and others interested in Maldives.
Contributions and comments - mc_editors@hotmail.com
