Reliance Broadband

by Imran Mirza

C ontinuing with the reviews of ISPs in Mumbai, I will talk about Reliance Broadband this time.
My experience with Reliance has been a mixed one. I have tried three types of connections from Reliance: WiMax, Line based Broadband and USB Modem / Data card.

WiMax
I really liked the idea of having a WiMax connection. No waiting for “feasibility”, no lengthy cables, no bulky routers. It is up and running in a few hours. I was told that it needs a minimum height of at least four floors for proper connectivity.

The WiMax network is decent enough if you do not mind keeping the modem switched on all day long. As it works on DHCP, getting the IP address tends to be a problem. If you switch it off, you might have to wait for a few minutes to get a new IP address. Again, keeping the modem switched on all the time would help you avoid this problem. The speed was good enough and as per my tariff plan, I was getting a connectivity of 150kbps most of the time.

As I like my internet connection “on” all the time and I want to save on my electricity bills (again Reliance) I find it really annoying to log in each and every time I boot my machine and keep the modem switched on all the while.

Frequent connection problems and the fact that I had to keep the modem on all the time is what made me switch to Reliance’s line based broadband connection.

My advice: Opt for a WiMax connection only if there’s no “feasibility” in your area.

Line based Broadband
I opted for a combo plan (internet along with a telephone connection). It took them almost a week to send a technician. When the technician finally arrived, he turned up with a malfunctioning router and a telephone instrument. I got the internet connectivity and I was told that the telephone would be “activated” in a day or two. Nothing really happened for a week even after numerous phone calls to the customer service, area sales manager and the sales executive who sold me the connection. I wasn’t even provided with a telephone number for 10 days.

The internet connectivity was fairly good. I regularly get speeds of 300kbps as per my tariff plan. However, the problem of having to log in every time I boot my machine still annoys me. Surprisingly, there is no option even to remember the User ID or save your password.

As it is a line based connection, there are no problems in getting an IP address, unlike the WiMax network.

What really surprises me is the lack of professionalism rampant in Reliance Broadband, right from the guy who came for installation to the customer service. To my dismay, even the Nodal Office as well as the Appellate neither acknowledged nor responded to my emails. They were not reachable on the phone either.

Another thing I would like to mention is that the Reliance telephone was “dead” three times in just a month, forcing me to get the connection cancelled. This was worse than MTNL.

USB Modem / Data Card
I bought a Reliance USB Modem from a vendor for about Rs.2800/- along with a free unlimited internet connection for 1 month. Reliance claims that the USB modem provides a speed of up to 128kbps. I realised the meaning of “up to 128 kbps” after using the modem for a few weeks. I tried using the modem in different places. At my residence, I had to sit near the window to get a good signal. The network was better outdoors. I tried it in a coffee shop, a Mc Donald’s outlet and a shopping mall in the western suburbs. The websites opened painfully slow and the download speeds were nothing to boast of. The download speed seemed too slow for a 128kbps connection.

The USB Modem / Data Card is definitely not a substitute for a line based or WiMax connection.

Pros:
• The line based broadband connection is fairly good.
• A wide range of connection options to choose from i.e. line based, WiMax and USB Modem / Data Card
• No waiting for feasibility. You can get a WiMax connection even if no other ISP services your area.

Cons:
• Poorest customer service, to say the least, even at the nodal and appellate level. Reliance must work really hard to improve it.
• Inefficient billing.
• One has to log in every time or keep the modem switched on all the while.