[Sam Kapasi]

Prologue

I had signed up for MTNL Triband internet about 4 months ago. Prior to this I had no internet connection at home, I was using a Reliance PCMCIA internet card with my PowerBook G4, OSX Tiger.
I had to purchase a 3rd party driver for the Aircard and it worked smoothly.

My Powerbook crashed, it was the hard disc. When it was returned with a new hard disk, I had asked for the new Leopard operating system. I had obviously lost my 3rd party drivers for the reliance card and somehow the same drivers were not working with the Reliance card.

It was time.

It took a lot of phone calls and patience but soon enough the ADSL modem was installed at home. I went on to attach a small linksys dual antenna WLAN system with a WPA password and everything worked beautifully.
But it wasn’t cheap.

I liked this MTNL internet, no fuss. All I did when I got home was switch the modems on and flip open the laptop and everything worked. All I did was surf Team-BHP and then after dinner I would skype video with TheOne® for a couple of hours then sleep
I had the default package – Rs. 399/- per month (plus another Rs.80/- per month for the ADSL modem, I did not want to buy as I was not sure how long I’d use the MTNL connection and thought it pointless to purchase it for 1600 or 1800 bucks)

The package offered me 700MB free download and post this I had to pay Rs. 1/- per MB.

The bills were between 2000 to 2500 per month, plus telephone usage – coming to about 3000/- per month. It seemed expensive to me, because I knew that there were many who paid less for a faster and unlimited connection.

I made the call to the MTNL call centre at 1500.

[Sam Kapasi]

I don’t like calling these call centres. Somehow I always tend to fade off …

Press 7 if you have an itchy bum

Press 8 if you wish we were dead

Press 9 if you wish you were dead

Press hash if you want to smoke up and and forget why you called us in the first place.

What was option 2 again? BLEEP

Sorry but you are an idiot. Please try to have a nice day. Click.

Finally I get through.

Namaskar, MTNL.

Namaskar. Madam I would like to change my Internet Plan.
What plan do you want?
Uhh… Do you have any unlimited data transfer package.
No. We have a Night Unlimited package.
Ah now that will do nicely. Can you give me some detail?
It costs 849/- per month. 1.25 GB data transfer is free per month, Night from 12 midnight to 8am is free, everything else is 1 rupee per MB.

OK this sounds like what I want.
You have to log on AFTER 12 to get the benefit of night transfer.
How?
You have to switch off the ADSL modem anytime after 12 and put on again. If it is on from before 12, you will not get night benefit.

I understand. This is what I want.
Plan 849. Night unlimited. Is this confirmed?
Yes.
OK, what is your contact number?
2642XXXX.
Any other number?
99870XXXX
OK it will take a few days, we will call and confirm when it is done.

Thanks a lot! Bye.

[Sam Kapasi]

I receive a call on my Mobile phone asking if I had asked for Plan 849 triband – I confirm.
The next day my father receives the same call at home. They confirm that the night plan was now active.

Super!

Now that I have unlimited internet I try downloading some data. Torrents and warez are not my scene at all and it is difficult to get my kind of stuff on the internet.
It is great to be able to chat with jenny, the way I see it, since 60% of our chatting is done after 12, my bill should reduce from 2500 to 1500 or so. Not bad.

Still-I wish I could do something and use the free bandwidth I’ve got.

[Sam Kapasi]

I have found the right sources again and people/servers/blogs that have what I like.

I now have a rapidshare paid/premium account and a nice download manager. Night is unlimited and the speed is pretty fast. What I have started doing is preparing my Rapidshare downloads for the night on iGetter before dinner.
I then complete dinner and get online with Jenny. At 12.10 am I have kept a reminder on my phone.
I disconnect my skype call, go to the ADSL modem, switch off, wait for 30 seconds and switch it on again.
I continue my call with Jenny. I do not download anything during the video call, keeping maximum bandwidth for our conversation. Before I say goodnight I activate igetter and that downloads all night. I am not going crazy, just a couple of GB a night.

It all seems very nice.

There are some nights that I am unable to get online, as I am out, or partying or traveling. Some nights I don’t really feel like it. I have managed to download about 12GB of data in about 12 active nights.

Soon Jenny will be here and then I’ll have better things to do than download.

[nishantgandhi]

Haha! It looks like another harrowing experience of yours with the system! keep it coming, will read this one with interest!

BTW, I am on Airtel Broadband Unlimited plan (not just in night, but all throughout the day) and it costs me Rs 799 pm. Just FYI.

And yes, many happy returns of the day. Good to know another fellow cancerian.

Cheers and have a great day!

[Mission_Safari]

Just checked the MTNL website. It has the following lines in the plan you had opted for "Customers who are asking for DSL-NU(Night Unlimited Free) plan have to necessarily switch OFF and ON the ADSL modem before and after free night unlimited period."

So in case you login after 12AM and continue using it without switching it off, my guess is it will continue to be free until you switch it off.

[Sam Kapasi]

Wake up!!

No I am not waking Jenny up, she has already gone back to Germany. It is my father banging on my door.

Tune to kaha tha phone bill kam aayega!!?
Hmmm?
You said that your internet usage bill will reduce, you said you did something.
Yeah?
Well great job son, well done! Here’s your bill, enjoy yourself.

I am standing there, blinking slowly, rubbing my eyes in disbelief.

In my hand I am holding an MTNL telephone bill. It is for the month of May 2008. Number of phone pulses is 68, hence free and covered in the minimum amount. The entire amount is for Internet usage.

MTNL has billed me Rs. 14500/- for internet usage in one month.


Story to be continued tomorrow.

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by Mission_Safari

So in case you login after 12AM and continue using it without switching it off, my guess is it will continue to be free until you switch it off.

Incorrect.

You do have to switch off and back on after 12 midnight to get the benefit of Night Unlimited.
If you continue to use without switching off, you get charged at normal rates all night.

However , even if you have logged on after midnight - after 8am, the usage is recalculated at normal rates.

[jkdas]

hehe, was fun.

Maybe they meant 1.25 per month

and hence!

Edit:

749Rs package; TriB Combo 749NU.

Dont they have the spilt of the bill?

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by jkdas

hehe, was fun.

Maybe they meant 1.25 per month

and hence!

Thanks JK I realised my post was not clear. I have edited it.

It is only 1.25GB free per month. After this it is 1 rupee per MB. Night usage is free. I was able to understand this quite clearly before I signed up for it.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

You do have to switch off and back on after 12 midnight to get the benefit of Night Unlimited.
If you continue to use without switching off, you get charged at normal rates all night.

"You dont log off at night - YOU Lose."

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

However , even if you have logged on after midnight - after 8am, the usage is recalculated at normal rates.

"You dont log off again in the morning - I Win!"




Talk about double standards! This is a total rip-off plan. How does TRAI allow this sort of nonsense?

[Mission_Safari]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Incorrect.

You do have to switch off and back on after 12 midnight to get the benefit of Night Unlimited.
If you continue to use without switching off, you get charged at normal rates all night.

However , even if you have logged on after midnight - after 8am, the usage is recalculated at normal rates.

You are probably right. But couldn't still understand why they insist to switch off after the free night unlimited period.

Waiting for the rest of the story. Hope the issue with the bill is sorted out.

[maddy42]

Sam you serious!!! 14 grand in one month!! Time for a change sam. By the way airtel offers decent offers for downloads. I always opted for the whole day unlimited offer and am pretty satisfied. Am a bit lazy to set stuff to download only at night. Anyways waiting for the remainder.
Cheers man mistakes Hota hai

[simply_sunny001]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

MTNL has billed me Rs. 14500/- for internet usage in one month.

Thats heights man

i cant believe this 14.5 k for internet in 1 month

get rid of this crap fast SAM

[jkdas]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Thanks JK I realised my post was not clear. I have edited it.

It is only 1.25GB free per month. After this it is 1 rupee per MB. Night usage is free. I was able to understand this quite clearly before I signed up for it.

From their site: Night unlimited (00.00 to 08.00) & 1.25 GB in day.