MTL hires broadband services experts

TELECOMS

By Gregory Gondwe, Blantyre, Malawi

Confounded by failure to get optimum service out of its top-quality broadband service delivery equipment, the Malawi Telecommunications Limited (MTL) has hired a team of experts that will ‘revolutionalise’ the telecommunication industry by coming up with fast and efficient service delivery for both internet access and solutions for Broadband Virtual Private Network (VPN).

MTL head of marketing Wanangwa Thindwa said the preliminary assignment for the team will be to focus on the services rendered in the country’s four cities of Blantyre, Zomba, Lilongwe and Mzuzu.

“This will ensure better customer service delivery for all our broadband solutions which include internet and enterprise connectivity VPN,” said Thindwa.

Ever since some of these services came into effect some years ago, Thindwa explained that customers would wait for months in order to be connected. He said sometimes they would even wait for ‘some time’ before getting answers on their queries on MTL broadband services.

Thindwa acknowledged that the problems were stemming from the fact that broadband solutions are complex and they had no expertise to deal with them.

“To get the best out of MTL’s services, the customer needs to interact with people who are conversant with the technologies and are able to articulate the possible solutions and respond to the customers’ needs appropriately,” he explained.

Because of its fibre optic cable backbone MTL does not only provide internet but broadband solutions to both businesses and individuals across the country as well says Thindwa.

MTL offers broadband solutions using four different access internet technologies such as optic fiber, WiMAX, CDMA and XDSL.

WiMAX is only available in three cities of Mzuzu, Lilongwe and Blantyre, while CDMA and DSL are available in most parts of the country.

MTL says WiMAX is fast becoming popular because customers who are buying the WiMAX router are able to connect up to four PCs.

The WiMAX router is also able to connect WiFi-enabled mobile phones to the internet. 

However for the other three internet access technologies falling under the brand MiNET, CDMA and DSL depending on where the customer is based, MTL staff will advise what technology would be ideal for each customer.