Meet Safaricom True Broadband..that never was

When I saw full page advert posted on Daily Nation showing? Mr.Michael Joseph talking about the True Broadband, I got so excited . At long last I found the ISP to provide me with fast internet promised by the launch of Seacom. Earlier, I was frustrated with the refusal by SeacomLive? to tell me the ISPs who had bought the bandwidth from them (check separate story about it here.)??? So that evening I went to Safaricom customer care office and bought? Safaricom modem.

The marketers there tried to convince me to buy without knowing that I was already convinced? and I just needed the explanation on how to install it if there was any.? Willing to help they activated the modem for me on their computers,? plus the blah blah of winning something. ?Looking at the key features I nodded my head with approval. This one in particular? HSDPA Downlink up to 3.6mbps. caught my eyes

Believe me that marks the end of my happy time with Safaricom modem. You can guess my expectation of 3.6 mbps speed , having been used to a speed of 512 kbps provided with my former ISP.? True to the word the first thing which popup after connecting is Safaricom is now connected: Speed 3.6mbps.

Connection

Connection

After that hype and promise I could not believe it when my connection started timing out immediately.? I mean with a speed of 3.6mbps even if it is fluctuating it should be coming down to 500kbps at least and that could still be good enough to keep me going.

The worst moments

Take a look at the true broadband at worst times. For someone dealing with internet based clients you can even cry when the only thing you can get from true broadband is this

Zero Connections
Zero Connections

Happy times

It is true and a fact that sometimes it becomes really fast, and that is why I am very frustrated client, Mr. Michael Joseph if you are reading this. The reason why I bought this modem was to get fast constant or consistent internet and not one which is great one minute and the next minute my browsing is showing me Page Load Error

Not Loading
Not Loading

A glimpse of the best times with the modem gives you this

Happy Times
Happy Times

So why is the promise of 3.6mbps not a reality? The following came to mind:

May be Safaricom gadget or modem does not communicate well with their boasters. Normally when fully connected the symbol showing the network connection is followed with a number of bars just like the one for the phones. Now this one keeps on being on and off, an indication of the difficulty in communicating with the boaster. The funny thing with this explanation is the fact that I have Safaricom line for my phone and my phone does not show the same fluctuation in Network connection.? Plus being in Nairobi I expected the full benefits of closer proximity to Safaricom headquarter and possible availability of the best boaster than anywhere else.

Not so happy after all
Not so happy after all

Another explanation is may be, consumers were deceived completely and in that case Mr.Michael Joseph misrepresented the facts about Safaricom broadband. The word going round and confirmed by Safaricom itself is that its is connected or about to be connected to Seacom.? If you reading this and you use Safaricom modem tell me if you have the same problems?

Kennedy Kachwanya1087 Posts

--- Kennedy Kachwanya is a technology blogger interested in mobile phones both smart and dumb, mobile apps, mobile money, social media, startups ecosystem and digital Savannah. New media must not forget the strength of old tech.

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