pages

Saturday, November 12, 2011

we get additional 500Mb from U Mobile... Yay?... Yay!

WARNING: LARGE WALL OF TEXT, be sure to read last paragraph.


A few days ago, U Mobile suffered that very serious network outage which left users without phone signal or internet for a few hours (during working hours, on a monday). As an apology U Mobile sent each user either free SMS to all networks for 1 day for a  three months and/or additional 500Mb quota every month until January 2012. (see here for more details)


On 11/11/2011, I received an SMS saying they are going to gradually add the 500Mb to all users in the next few moments (google translated only, sorry). This calls for celebration, of course -- who wouldn't welcome additional 500Mb -- right?


But this afternoon I regretted ever being given that 500Mb. As I am now left with 5GB remaining quota and a very slow internet connection.


As I am lazy to type somemore I am copy pasting my email I sent to U Mobile below (along with my observations)
==================
Hi U,



This is for report number 457994.


I already called this in this afternoon but the one from the hotline told me my quota still got ~5GB left in my account and I wasn't throttled. 


I called again a few minutes past 10 PM and the guy created a report. I wanted to add into the report number as I do not feel the phone support captured everything I wanted to say. (Ryan -- the guy was good but I wanted to add my analysis of this slowdown I am encountering)




This afternoon I received 2 SMS on my MB128 account. The first one (by time in the timestamp of the SMS):


Name/Number: Umobile
Time: 2011-11-12 15:37:13
Content: RM0. You have used up data allowance for MB128 activated at //. Your speed will now be reduced. Thank you




Followed by the other 1, a second after (which is weird+)


Name/Number: Umobile
Time: 2011-11-12 15:37:14
Content: RM0.You have 30MB balance in your data allowance for MB128 and speed will be reduced soon. Thank you




And immediately after this SMS my internet slowed down to turtle speed. (Please see attached speedtests done starting with the 0.13/0.30 Mb/s (DL/UL)






Here are my observations:
1. First message did not contain my activation date of Oct. 26 2011 (probably the date is at the part with the '//') 
2. 500Mb additional quota was given to all broadband users for the network outage recently (which forms most part of my theory)
3. The additional quota given to all users do not show up through the 118 service command (only the original quota is seen)
4. I have just downloaded a large file which is more than 500Mb (Apple iPad 5.0.1 update ~ 700Mb) just before (and even while) the SMS came to my number.




Theory:
The 500Mb additional quota was not added to the user's original quota but rather was added as a separate quota and when the 500Mb was finished, it didn't consider the remaining quota in the original 20GB. The primary reason being there was no activation date in the first SMS. Had there been a date of Oct 26, 2011 there, then the problem would probably be something else.




I do hope you reply to my email. Or reinstate my speed back to normal. And I do hope I help you with these information I have given you.


All the best (and will be anxiously waiting for the resolution of my case.. which is 3 to 5 working days -- damnit).




EDIT: OR... maybe by tomorrow my connection will be OK because some batch job running tonight will reset my quota to the original one. /crossfingers,toes,everything


UPDATE: 
Received 3 missed calls at 11pm yesterday. Didn't know the numbers. So decided to switch back to U (was using Digi Prepaid Internet while U was not so fast) and test...


http://www.speedtest.net/result/1588320280.png


happy again :)