Tiscali eases ADSL woes

Headlines are abounding with the gloom experienced by local ADSL subscribers. The snag list usually contains issues relating to ADSL`s service reliability, bandwidth limitations and general dissatisfaction with what was once touted as the cure-all to the cost of bandwidth. To circumvent some of the limitations inherent in the way the offering currently stands, Tiscali is making an ADSL plug-in available to its subscriber base that will effectively extend monthly bandwidth.

Tiscali`s existing ADSL subscribers can purchase the add-on in increments of 3GB for a fee of R250 per month per additional 3GB. "Our aim is to assist users who need the extra capacity to carry them through the month should they reach the initial 3GB cap imposed by Telkom," says Michelle Branco, business-to-consumer manager at Tiscali.

"The solution being offered by Tiscali is not a magic potion that will eliminate all the difficulties some users experience with ADSL. As the service operates on the Telkom backbone, many of these issues are beyond any ISP`s control," she adds. "It will, however, offer a remedy against the greatest dissatisfaction users have with ADSL, which is the monthly 3GB limit."

Tiscali can assist SoHo and small business owners, as well as home users to undertake an audit of their access requirements, says Branco. "Depending on their usage, these users will then be able to make a more informed decision as to whether dial-up, ADSL, ISDN or a leased-line access might not be a better option. Making the right choice upfront will go a long way to eliminating any headaches that may be experienced later on."

The plug-in is available from Tiscali immediately, and users are advised to contact their closest customer service centre to purchase the additional capacity. Terms of the subscriber`s original ADSL contract will apply, and the additional bandwidth will be available each month for the duration of the master contract.