taken from "http://www.mouthshut.com/review/MTNL_Triband_ADSL-137476-1.html"
I’m using this in Delhi. The speed is good – BUT, only when it is working – but once you encounter any (just any...)problem – boy, you will realize the meaning of what does “sarkaree” mean.
Despite of writing all this below, I’m using it because currently this is the only service being provided in my area. Here’s the feedback:
Installation: By the local lineman, who knows which-wire-where, but you must know the basic installation to start the net after that – otherwise the “SDO” will come to install – which if (you miss the hints) may be after a few days.
Wiring: No help in wiring inside home- compare this with the professional wiring set up of AirTel
Speed: Max is 256kbps, and a working connection sometimes gives around that much - good and is sufficient for listening songs online and working from home using remote desktop. Speed is good because it may haapen that you are the only MTNL broadband user in the whole of your neighbourhood!
Billing: If you can submit bills online then it is good – otherwise find a Sanchar Haat or drop box – not many in number, and you can’t negotiate on some extra /late payment charges – which you can do with private-sector players.
Billing-issues: Hopeless in this front – if you have any trouble – the customer care executives will tell you that there is NO provision for that and it must be YOUR mistake….all you can do is that write an application and submit it to SDO…and then follow the standard complaint handling mechanism described by TRAI( some ombdusman / phone adalat etc…). But if you think time equals money – then there is nothing except bearing with it.
Complaint handling:
General Customer support: Please read billing-issues above – they may even cut your call if they think that you are bothering them too much. MTNL’s support staff do NOT provide there names (any guess why???). Then there is some concepts of a “normal complaint” and a “VIP complaint”….hope that you do NOT get any trouble ever! And those with a little bit of trouble with Hindi-language skills - this is NOT clearly the service for you - becasue even after "press 2 for English" - you ’ll list "Namaskaar, position xx here...main aapakee kaise sahaayata kar sakataa hoon...".
Technical support: After a banging you head a few times – you’ll stop calling them and will start doing “restart ADSL through 192.168.1.1” or ping yourself or after analyzing which LED’s blinking, deciding to call for complaint (alongwith the precise reason) - they are not of any use, except than providing the basic support to neophytes.
For troubles which require some involvement of technical staff of your area, you need to 1. Write an application on paper 2. Present it to SDO – please, do keep a signed cc with yourself otherwise this is as good as thrown in a well 3. Keep on hoping that he’ll come today/tomorrow.
God forbid if you get a faulty modem – boy, the steps are 1-3 above and then 4. Pick your instrument, go to the store (store is NOT = sanchar haat or exchange – and at probably a different location – and a different, suspicious babu…which you’ll know after a couple of visits!), there, do invest some time and get the new instrument back…as simple as that.
Also, the technical staff works Mon-Fri 10-5 daytime (works??) and for half-a-day on Saturdays.
Online complaint: Broadband complaint link, http://vcare.mtnldelhi.in:7777/ does NOT work!
Level of corruption: None – zero, if 1. You know somebody on the top. 2. You don’t mind getting your equipment repaired after a week or two.
Otherwise just pay heed to the “hints” - and think that the money you paid makes up for the less rent / fee MTNL is charging (as compared to other service provider). OR As told to me by one of them “Sir, Amrika me bhee to log tip dete hee hain…(In America you pay the tips…)
Service: Has got the power to convert anybody into a believer - Do NOT expect anything, and you’ll be happy. Not even the standard virus-protection pack for subscribers. MTNL does NOT believe in power of advertisements - so the new / changed service you’ll ever hear would either from any broadband-forum ( or from any friend who has made it a hobby to read small-print-ads).
Cost: If things go alright – if+alright + always – this is the cheapest one – otherwise boy, a sheer wastage of time and money.
Reliablity: My trouble started in July, 2007 (I got new phoen in April, 2007), after that NOT a single month has gone without any issue. Here’s my downtime log...don’t think that I didn’t do anything - I went to Sanchar haat and to the exchange and then even to store (to replace modem)....
DowntimeJuly 15+ days
Aug 5-10 days...and I got a damm 2500+ bill for rest 20-25 days!
Sep 5 days
Oct 30 days - whole month
Nov 15 days - Got my modem changed (earlier one was not working...the replaced one too isn’t better - it’s power switch does not work - you have to stick a tooth pick to get it on)
Dec 7 days.
Jan Till today (14th January)
What do you say? Reliable - yes or no?
Terminating the connection: Site says - call 1500 and terminate - 1500 says go to Sanchar haat and write an application......I hope to update this in a couple of weeks.
Update on 10th January, 2008: Round-1 for Disconnection at Sanchar-haat, Fateh-puri: Mr. Tomar there say that they (MTNL) do NOT accpet the disconnection applications here - submit it at the Chanakyapuri commercial office.
Update in evening, 10th Jan 2008: Out of sheer frustation, I mailed the AM once more (onece more....because already sent him 4 mails earlier but this time showed the wisdom to include GM in cc) that I want to disconnect. In around an hour a gentleman called up, asked the reason to disconnect, listened sympathatically, and then promissed that he is sending his man next day (11th Jan) and wheter I can review my decision to disconnect....Well, let us see - a promise by GM (or from somebody in his office)... you can get his number/id from In case if you have any difficulty regarding faults. One positive (!!! - information-wise) thing was that he told me where to go and which documents to enclose with the disconnection application ( Go to Chankyapuri Commercial Office, attach latest payment slip/bill-paid and the original first bill with the application). Update on afternoon, 11th Jan 2008: Mr.SDO called me up...told me that the wire-pair has been changed and I should check the net...I didn’t dare to ask why it took 18 days for that...I was asked to test it ASAP - before 5 o’clcok (workers have to go home...you know!!). Advised me to leave work early today to check it. Oh, yeah....I am seriously thinking about leaving my present job to get an MTNL connection working - idiots! 12th 13th Jan, 2008 (Sunday) : My phone went dead!
I’m using this in Delhi. The speed is good – BUT, only when it is working – but once you encounter any (just any...)problem – boy, you will realize the meaning of what does “sarkaree” mean.
Despite of writing all this below, I’m using it because currently this is the only service being provided in my area. Here’s the feedback:
Installation: By the local lineman, who knows which-wire-where, but you must know the basic installation to start the net after that – otherwise the “SDO” will come to install – which if (you miss the hints) may be after a few days.
Wiring: No help in wiring inside home- compare this with the professional wiring set up of AirTel
Speed: Max is 256kbps, and a working connection sometimes gives around that much - good and is sufficient for listening songs online and working from home using remote desktop. Speed is good because it may haapen that you are the only MTNL broadband user in the whole of your neighbourhood!
Billing: If you can submit bills online then it is good – otherwise find a Sanchar Haat or drop box – not many in number, and you can’t negotiate on some extra /late payment charges – which you can do with private-sector players.
Billing-issues: Hopeless in this front – if you have any trouble – the customer care executives will tell you that there is NO provision for that and it must be YOUR mistake….all you can do is that write an application and submit it to SDO…and then follow the standard complaint handling mechanism described by TRAI( some ombdusman / phone adalat etc…). But if you think time equals money – then there is nothing except bearing with it.
Complaint handling:
General Customer support: Please read billing-issues above – they may even cut your call if they think that you are bothering them too much. MTNL’s support staff do NOT provide there names (any guess why???). Then there is some concepts of a “normal complaint” and a “VIP complaint”….hope that you do NOT get any trouble ever! And those with a little bit of trouble with Hindi-language skills - this is NOT clearly the service for you - becasue even after "press 2 for English" - you ’ll list "Namaskaar, position xx here...main aapakee kaise sahaayata kar sakataa hoon...".
Technical support: After a banging you head a few times – you’ll stop calling them and will start doing “restart ADSL through 192.168.1.1” or ping yourself or after analyzing which LED’s blinking, deciding to call for complaint (alongwith the precise reason) - they are not of any use, except than providing the basic support to neophytes.
For troubles which require some involvement of technical staff of your area, you need to 1. Write an application on paper 2. Present it to SDO – please, do keep a signed cc with yourself otherwise this is as good as thrown in a well 3. Keep on hoping that he’ll come today/tomorrow.
God forbid if you get a faulty modem – boy, the steps are 1-3 above and then 4. Pick your instrument, go to the store (store is NOT = sanchar haat or exchange – and at probably a different location – and a different, suspicious babu…which you’ll know after a couple of visits!), there, do invest some time and get the new instrument back…as simple as that.
Also, the technical staff works Mon-Fri 10-5 daytime (works??) and for half-a-day on Saturdays.
Online complaint: Broadband complaint link, http://vcare.mtnldelhi.in:7777/ does NOT work!
Level of corruption: None – zero, if 1. You know somebody on the top. 2. You don’t mind getting your equipment repaired after a week or two.
Otherwise just pay heed to the “hints” - and think that the money you paid makes up for the less rent / fee MTNL is charging (as compared to other service provider). OR As told to me by one of them “Sir, Amrika me bhee to log tip dete hee hain…(In America you pay the tips…)
Service: Has got the power to convert anybody into a believer - Do NOT expect anything, and you’ll be happy. Not even the standard virus-protection pack for subscribers. MTNL does NOT believe in power of advertisements - so the new / changed service you’ll ever hear would either from any broadband-forum ( or from any friend who has made it a hobby to read small-print-ads).
Cost: If things go alright – if+alright + always – this is the cheapest one – otherwise boy, a sheer wastage of time and money.
Reliablity: My trouble started in July, 2007 (I got new phoen in April, 2007), after that NOT a single month has gone without any issue. Here’s my downtime log...don’t think that I didn’t do anything - I went to Sanchar haat and to the exchange and then even to store (to replace modem)....
DowntimeJuly 15+ days
Aug 5-10 days...and I got a damm 2500+ bill for rest 20-25 days!
Sep 5 days
Oct 30 days - whole month
Nov 15 days - Got my modem changed (earlier one was not working...the replaced one too isn’t better - it’s power switch does not work - you have to stick a tooth pick to get it on)
Dec 7 days.
Jan Till today (14th January)
What do you say? Reliable - yes or no?
Terminating the connection: Site says - call 1500 and terminate - 1500 says go to Sanchar haat and write an application......I hope to update this in a couple of weeks.
Update on 10th January, 2008: Round-1 for Disconnection at Sanchar-haat, Fateh-puri: Mr. Tomar there say that they (MTNL) do NOT accpet the disconnection applications here - submit it at the Chanakyapuri commercial office.
Update in evening, 10th Jan 2008: Out of sheer frustation, I mailed the AM once more (onece more....because already sent him 4 mails earlier but this time showed the wisdom to include GM in cc) that I want to disconnect. In around an hour a gentleman called up, asked the reason to disconnect, listened sympathatically, and then promissed that he is sending his man next day (11th Jan) and wheter I can review my decision to disconnect....Well, let us see - a promise by GM (or from somebody in his office)... you can get his number/id from In case if you have any difficulty regarding faults. One positive (!!! - information-wise) thing was that he told me where to go and which documents to enclose with the disconnection application ( Go to Chankyapuri Commercial Office, attach latest payment slip/bill-paid and the original first bill with the application). Update on afternoon, 11th Jan 2008: Mr.SDO called me up...told me that the wire-pair has been changed and I should check the net...I didn’t dare to ask why it took 18 days for that...I was asked to test it ASAP - before 5 o’clcok (workers have to go home...you know!!). Advised me to leave work early today to check it. Oh, yeah....I am seriously thinking about leaving my present job to get an MTNL connection working - idiots! 12th 13th Jan, 2008 (Sunday) : My phone went dead!
