Fair enough

So, according to those slides TM Net produced during its recent PR exercise, the company's definition of a heavy user is someone who downloads 25GB a month. This is laughable for all sorts of reasons.

If you were to use a 1Mbps Streamyx connection at full speed (let's say 100KB per second) for 24 hours a day for 30 days a month, you'd be able to download 247GB a month. TM Net doesn't want you to do this. TM Net expects you to use your 1Mbps broadband connection at 10KB/s on average every month. In other words, if you use more than 10% of your 1Mbps connection's total capacity a month, TM has now decided you're a heavy user.

(For 4Mbps Streamyx users, 25GB per month translates to 2.5% of total bandwidth capacity.)

To make this all the more insulting, TM Net's official page for its Streamyx site boasts "unlimited usage for a fixed rate". This is false advertising, of course, and it's by a communications company which is absolutely terrible at communications. There's no English dictionary in the world that defines "unlimited" as "having undisclosed limits." Prospective Streamyx subscribers would be less than impressed by the ugly truth: "Restricted to 25GB per month with an average speed of 10KB/s".

The second reason why TM Net's definition of heavy user is laughably absurd is the company has another broadband service, UniFi, and TM Net is allowing those users download 120GB per month (and as the UniFi official site notes there is no cap for the time being). Keep in mind that both UniFi and Streamyx users are using the same international bandwidth.

Don't be misled by TM Net's clumsy and transparent attempts to shift the blame from itself. Heavy users of Streamyx are not stealing bandwidth from other Streamyx users; the heavy users are simply making full use of their connections they paid for.

What's actually happening is TM Net is severely restricting Streamyx heavy users in order to maximise international bandwidth for UniFi users. In other words, TM Net is taking away international bandwidth from Streamyx users to cater to UniFi users. TM Net is doing this very quietly so the only ones who are noticing it now are the Streamyx heavy users.

Some of you may not consider TM Net's policies troubling because it doesn't currently affect you. Consider this: TM Net gets to decide who is a heavy downloader and under what circumstances. Download 120GB with a UniFi connection? TM Net says, "No problem." Download 25GB on a Streamyx connection and TM Net says you're a heavy user whose connection must be throttled so severely you won't be able to download critical data including OS service packs, security patches, application upgrades or anti-virus definition updates.

More to the point, TM Net also gets to decide what amount constitutes an excessively high download amount. Today, it's 25GB a month. In a year, TM Net could decide it's 20GB or perhaps 15GB. This is called moving the goalposts and to mix sporting metaphors, this is not cricket. TM Net, having gone from "unlimited" to 25GB, will most assuredly change this amount once again.

The real problem here is TM Net is set on maximising profits and as such is eager to increase its broadband subscription base without making the necessary infrastructure investments to maintain a high quality of service. Increasing the number of subscribers means increasing revenue but increasing international bandwidth capacity to maintain quality of service means increasing expenditure which eats up profits.

It's worth noting TM Net announced RM2 billion in revenues and more than doubled its net profits for the third quarter of 2010 alone. Now ask yourself how TM Net is going to meet shareholder expectations of improved profits in the future.

Does anyone believe the company is going to spend any of the RM800 million it made in profits for its first three financial quarters of 2010 to improve the international bandwidth capacity for Streamyx users?

Does anyone believe TM Net is going to stop accepting broadband subscribers because it has more subscribers than it can provide international bandwidth for?

The Streamyx/UniFi situation is a clear indicator of TM Net's future strategy: the company is going to continue oversubscribing (i.e. having more users than it can adequately support) and punish existing customers who do not upgrade by severely throttling them when the company rolls out a new broadband service.

TM Net has made overtures to local bloggers in order to co-opt them and induce them to spread TM Net's PR message. Streamyx users who feel they have been unfairly throttled should respond by lodging a complaint with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. Visit aduan.skmm.gov.my.

If this doesn't help matters then it's clear TM Net needs a very public rebuke from long-suffering Streamyx users who have thus far restricted their complaints to enthusiast web sites like this one. In an age of Twitter and Facebook groups, Streamyx users who dutifully pay their monthly bill only to be treated to secret throttling, frequent service degradation and outages have plenty of avenues to give TM Net a much-deserved and overdue PR black eye on the international stage.

Cut the story short, TMNet's not the one to blame. They were given the angle, all they had to do was play it. They did the right thing, right in their own way. Who exactly gave them the angle?? Yeb.

BTW, don't believe RM800 mil profits. It's not possible. Has to be more. In Malaysia, you can tamper with digits to your liking, so long as you share some of those digits with your friend on that grand chair.

Well explained :-)

TL;DR version

TMnet feed people bs about "expensive bandwidth" and "not enough bandwidth" and people ate it like om nom nom nom. Now we're screwed till our grandkids and we've got only ourselves to blame. Today 25GB, tomorrow 25MB, so yeah, enjoy!

So it's 2011, whats up MX510? Any more bad news like maybe they decided 25GB is "too much" and that 25MB would be more suitable for streamyx users?

25GB?Maybe it is just enough for surfing net and some youtube here and there.Say goodbye to all the HD stuff on the internet...

Man, i felt like being squeezed left right front back inside out with all this bs. Petrol up, GST up, electricty up, groceries up, bla bla bla up and now internet want to squeeze all the users to stick to a 25gb quota so they can continue to take more new subscribers and the record profits continue to soar so that someone will have to buy more chests to keep the money.

Why don't TMNET just start the quota on UNIFI since it is already well written in the T&C when they all sign up? This is much more fair to all the streamyx users.

Those who are on 1Malaysia plan or subsidised package too should be capped as they are paying half the price we are paying.

Where is justice for us when TMNET suddenly revoke our streamyx agreement and start the FUP?

Well explained. MX510, can you put this on the first post, so TM can read this. Then if possible provide a template so that we can complain to skmm. We will now counter TM acts. I am not good in English, so anyone open to this idea? If we can have a legal advise and start sending skmm our opinion legally, maybe they can start do something.

This post has been edited by takercena: Jan 5 2011, 09:30 PM

If unifi starts quota, hell will break loose for tm
This is Malaysia, Truly Asia. One and only Malaysia which is a damned place by politicians playing games

Done all best quote will be put into first post

I recall I have to download updates for Vista to make Vista works which is more than 1GB. Henshin, thanks for clarifying. Unlike other user here that try to defend the bandwidth limitation problem. TM is just overselling the product.

This post has been edited by takercena: Jan 5 2011, 09:39 PM

Streamyx cannot implement FUP..... now im using their hotspot...lulz

@ Henshin,

Very well explained.
Tm clearly wanted to gain more money without paying more on upgrading facility.
Another "Smart" attempt from TM.

best regards

Start quoting from Henshin post and send to SKMM.

My company pay 100+k every month for a dedicated 2Mbps line, (up/down) which is guaranteed 24/7, 365 days a year. We would charge TM for downtime more 4 hrs as per SLA. That's the price to pay for guaranteed speed (not best effort) here in our beloved country


Unfortunately, for Consumer broadband, we have to live with contention ratio. some says it's around 20:1. sharing with others on assumption tat people will not be using the internet at the same. 20:1 ratio means only 5% of what your line capable of 24/7. Ridiculous??? certainly, but that's the fact.

It could well be TM is way overselling their bandwidth.

my 2 cents

u sure is 100k per-month for 2mbps guranteed ?
that is too much for a low speed.. last time sg.. for 2mbps guranteed u have to pay around like few k only.. not over 10k also

yup...leased line

i kena cap d. how bout u guys...

Capped too. Welcome to cap island.

urs cap to what speed?