ALL those who are sick of the major telecommunications companies leeching off of us and bleeding us dry of cash all whilst providing substandard services say “I”.
Why is it that we allow companies like Flow, Lime and Digicel to dish out poor service way below the cost of what we are paying them while they continue to bully us with their big stick
In these days where every single cent that can be saved is a huge help, it is only fair that individuals will grab any opportunity to save money in the form of free services like “WhatsApp” and “VoIP” (Voice over Internet Protocol)
The “Malaways” around the island breathed a collective sigh of relief when the popular app, “WhatsApp” began offering the option of free calling where all users of the said app were now able to make free phone calls to each other via the app.
Well, some big wig sitting at the top of the Digicel company decided that there is no way that they’re going to lose their voice calling cash to this app so they did what any big, bad, power would do and blocked the calling option.
According to Press Secretary to the Prime Minister, JadiaJn Pierre-Emmanuel, a Digicel post-paid user, this is the message that she received when trying to make a WhatsApp call to her daughter;
“Couldn’t place call because your phone’s cellular network prevents WhatsApp calls. Try connecting to Wi-Fi and call again.”
Jn Pierre-Emmanuel has vowed to make a loud noise about this and is now on a mission to find answers. Well, I have a question…why are we only making noise about this now? Not referring to Jn Pierre-Emmanuel here, but why do we have to fall victims before we stand up and speak out against injustice?
I am happy that we now have a public figure who is championing the cause and has given the masses the courage to come forward and let their voices be heard but I’m still somewhat disappointed that this is what had to happen before people decided to act.
As a result of Jn Pierre-Emmanuel’s actions to take the company to task, she has received an influx of support from people like Director General of the OECS, Didacus Jules and the Minister with responsibility for Public Service, Information, Broadcasting, Sustainable Development, Energy and Science and Technology, James Fletcher who has encouraged customers with similar complaints to write to Embert Charles who is the Managing Director of ECTEL and copy him in when sending the message.
It was only last month that Fletcher attended the annual CANTO (Caribbean Association of National Telecommunications Organisation) meeting in Miami where he, along with every telecommunications ministers across the region, backed low cost or free internet phone calls and flat out refused to be persuaded by telecommunications providers to ban Skype and similar services.
Some have tried and succeeded in the fight against this kind of action, case in point: the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) ruled against Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company (GT&T) in a VoIP case last month that they were in breach of contract in disconnecting a customer’s Internet Service because of his use of Vonage, an internet service which uses VoIP technology. The company was ordered to pay damages and costs to the individual, according to the ‘SAMENA Daily’ News.
But even this instant is a drop in the bucket as it will take more than one individual to bring about the much needed change although…it’s a start. Now St. Lucia, Please follow suit.
This dictation of data usage should never be accepted for a minute and I hope that this company gets their comeuppance for being so backhanded and sneaky.
On another note, talking about monopolies, surely, I’m not the only one who feels cheated and held hostage with the merger of LIME and Flow?!
I quite liked when I had a choice of who my service provider was but now that the same captain is stirring both ships, the nonsense is now pouring in from every corner.
I am extremely annoyed at the fact that I’m paying so much money for a service that is supposed to be the upgraded version yet my television service for example is infuriating. Before signing up for the television box, I had grown very used to a number of channels that helped me unwind at the end of the day…I truly was satisfied and was seen and heard on numerous occasions, defending the company which was then called Karib Cable.
Fast forward to today, I have this fancy box sitting under my Television yet there are only seven channels that I frequent, why? Because the majority of my favourite channels like OWN, GSN, MTV, WWOR have all disappeared and have been replaced by crass stations like Gayelle, Afri TV, Gone Viral and many others that I can’t think of right now.
When I enquired about this, I was told that in order to get some more channels back, I needed to pay and extra $19 monthly…are you people kidding me? I have to pay for YOUR regression? Why must I pay extra to have the service that I — USED to have when I paid less? And you people wonder why so many people pay insiders to set up illegal lines for them?
Subscribers to LIME also complain about the disappearance from their screens of a host of channels including the History Channel, Biography and A&E without explanation. Is that what you call service?
These companies are either really smart where they blatantly force people to fork out more cash in order to get the service that they’re used to, or they are extremely stupid for forcing people in that way because whilst you will get some who will always roll over and accept the nonsense, it is only a matter of time before people start to rebel and as soon as a better provider comes along, leave you all high and dry.
I pray for the day when one or two more service providers are given the opportunity to set up shop here…we’re always begging for investors, here’s a huge hint as to which direction you should be headed in, government of St. Lucia. Oh, and whilst you’re at it, please allow a company like Ikea or Asda and Walmart to come here as well so that they could give the likes of Courts and Super J some serious competition and perhaps make them see the error of their ways.
if you have internet, your option is to cancel TV service and watch your news online. On YOU TUBE you find free movies and it also show you how to connect your computer to your TV screen.
St. Lucians, we need to stand up and stop sitting on the behinds. Lets take these big business, the gov’t and all our abusers to task.
we had a minister who put a end to the monopoly of C&W and allowing competition in the cell market. He is a HERO for me what he have achieved !!!
what happened now to allow a merger of C&W with Flow is a step backwards into slavery and the results can be seen when you have a look what channels you get and at what cost. Is the ministry of commerce blind to let this happens?
customers all over the caribbean should stay together and using social media to fight this monopoly system by creating a snowball system. (to cancel tv service and looking for 2 more consumers who will do the same, all over the caribbean)
If the company loosing revenue the CEO will be fired or he please the customers to come back.
Its up to the people now to take this crab of service or to take action.
P.S. it is for a few days a change in your life without a tv program but nobody die because of it.
We st. Lucians are too divided I call for all st. Lucians to set up a protest go to Flow and lime and disconnect their services. Then they will hear us. Come on people let’s rally let’s have a meeting at the cultural centre. Let’s do i. I applaud the writer I say I. I’m with u let’s boycott them