Analysis of Ripwave speed - promised? delivered!!

[diarmuid]

Hi all IBB customers,

I signed up for Ripwave in October. The usual story, no unit within the 10 days promised, no reply from IBB call centre, No reply to e-mails. I told them to cancel everything. etc etc.

We've all been through this. Then the unit arrived and I installed it. I know I should have sent it back but...

Lousy speeds ... until I worked it out.

Promised up to 512 kilobits per sec download. (Let's just stick with downloads). Never got that speed. But... if the 40:1 contention ratio is correct then if we are all on together my calculation is that my max download speed will be 12.8 kilobits per second. or... and this is the small print scenario ... I calculate my speed in KB capital K Capital B that requires me to divide kilobits by a factor of 8. My max if all the 40 contenders are on therefore is 1.6 KILOBYTES. That's what they promised so I have to grin and bear it.

I asked IBB to confirm my calculations and they said "Yea, that's right but there's never the full 40 users on at the same time so you could be lucky!!!

And you know they're right. I got 41.6 KILOBYTES the other night/morning. So I know we're all pi**ed off but them's the facts.

The tragedy is that this setup is the handiest neatest item. One little unit. I have good signals from Killiney hill in South Dublin. I know there are horror stories but there's quite a mix of experiences.

If IBB would stop advertising and pump more power into their subscribers then the damn thing might just be the best service around - always on, no contract, no splitting telephone lines etc etc.

I think the first mistake was that this company ended up in the hands of NTR. Who's NTR?

The people who turned a solution into the biggest traffic problem in Ireland - The Westlink Toll operators.

What a item on the CEO of NTR's CV . Managed to cock up two of the best opportunities in traffic, on Dublin's roads and Ireland's Broadband airwaves.

Here's hoping someone will sort the mess out!!!

[chopper]

Diarmud ... if irish broadband are a "good" company who are technically using close margins on their equipment ... why have they NOT addressed the customer service situation over the the last 12 months and maybe even replied to an email looking for support. Maybe it would be niave to ask them to run the A & E in our hospitals services. Or perhaps launch the next mission to Mars.

[diarmuid]

I still am frustrated by the inability of a company, any company, to run a successful customer service in this high technology era.

I am reminded of the classic three problems of Irish industry - Management, Management, Management.

The real difficulty for us as customers is that the regulator does not take the necessary action on our behalf and force IBB to refund our money and with compensation. Everyone else seems to be getting big handouts for less.