Netizens' uproar over slow broadband

TELEKOM BRUNEI BERHAD'S (TelBru) Internet broadband subscribers have experienced major connectivity issues with their services throughout the Brunei-Muara District since the beginning of the week.

The Brunei Times received a large number of complaints saying that their Internet connection has been slow, sometimes unable to load any online content at all.

Areas that have been affected so far this week include Gadong, Kiarong, Kiulap, Muara, Serasa, Mentiri, Berakas, Mulaut, Sengkurong and Jerudong.

When contacted yesterday, a Telbru official said that they were not experiencing any problems with their network. However, the official, asking not to be named, did not give further details on the cause of some subscribers' Internet connection problems.

Social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook were abuzz with comments lamenting the state of Espeed's connection.

A Serasa resident, who only wished to be known as Nur Diana, said that her broadband speed has been "inconsistent and unreliable" for the past four days.

She said that streaming videos on YouTube is almost impossible because the connection is not stable and "drops" every few minutes.

"I pay almost $100 a month for high-speed Internet, but what is the point if it doesn't exist? A three-minute video on YouTube can take up to 10 minutes to load if at all," she said.

Nur Diana said she was also frustrated with being unable to load her favourite websites such as Facebook and Twitter.

"Lately I've hardly been able to load Facebook. After a few attempts, I just give up. Being unable to connect with people through social media leaves me feeling really disconnected from the world. It's like not being able to make a phone call."

She added that she was disappointed by the lack of warning or explanation from TelBru when the connection has been erratic.

"I would consider switching to DST's Go! Broadband if it is more reliable," said the long-time Espeed user.

Two students, Khadija and Rafiah, echoed Nur Diana's sentiments and said that it has been difficult to do their school work without a consistent Internet connection.

"Espeed has been down for the two days and it's been really hard to do research for projects without it. I've also been unable to download things to my iPod," said 22-year-old Mentiri resident.

Khadija, a St Andrew's School student said: "Because our Internet at home is not working properly, my Mum has driven me around trying to find a wi-fi spot, so I can do some research for a presentation. But I haven't found one with a decent connection yet.

The 16-year-old, who lives in BSB, added that they tried going to a hotel in BSB and the Brunei International Airport, but the connection was not much better.

However, not all Espeed users have been experiencing problems with their service.

Mrs Lim, who lives in Rimba, said that although her connection is slow sometimes, she has not noticed a major difference in speed lately.

She added: "There are three Internet users in our house, so our Espeed is always lagging due to the number of people using it."

A DST Go! Broadband subscriber, Justin Jaapar, said that he only uses Espeed for gaming because the connection is "more stable".

"I use DST for downloading large files because the speed is much faster than Espeed. I can play videos on YouTube almost instantaneously, I don't have to wait for them to buffer," he said.

Users of another Internet service provider, such as DST's Go! Broadband, have not reported any difficulties in their connection.

Espeed subscribers who are experiencing problems with their connection can call TelBru's Customer Care at 111.

The Brunei Times