TSTT response to "Broadband Problems"
18/02/08 22:06 Filed in: BitDepth+
As you know, TSTT is in the process of
deploying Blink to all areas of Trinidad & Tobago. Blink
represents a milestone for TSTT. The project brought together a
consortium of international technology partners that TSTT has
engaged for the first time as part of our strategy of modernising
our network. As a result we faced a very steep learning curve
getting all the players and parts in sync.
We've had to seamlessly integrate some legacy equipment with new IPDSLAM systems at our exchanges and make all of this work on a new Multi-protocol Layer Switching core inclusive of SMTP and DNS services. At the same time we increased our outbound bandwidth.
Unfortunately, being the national communications service provider, we did not have the luxury of shutting down our entire network for a few weeks to put everything together so we had to do the next best thing. Incrementally roll out, test, refine, expand, test, refine and then start the process again. Regrettably, the service issues experienced by the customers that wrote to you were examples of our early learning experiences.
The good news is the technology transfer that has been happening between TSTT and our partners means that new issues which we anticipate will still arise, will become fewer, of shorter duration and much farther between. Within the next 3 months we expect that we would have returned our service to '5/9' reliability that is 99.999% uptime- as one of your customers alluded.
We must concede however that more could have been done to keep customers in the loop. Although most of the service outages were unintended, we could have shared with customers that our improvements works were being done on live systems and that there would have been a chance service interruptions at random times.
I am nonetheless pleased that in spite of the difficult circumstances the project team remained steadfastly committed to correcting issues as expeditiously as possible.
I can understand how some customers, in the absence of knowing the situation, might have concluded that TSTT's emphasis was on sales and not service but that couldn't be further from the truth.
In addition to local training, we hired additional staff and at the same time employed the services of a technology support centre overseas. Frankly, the initial wave of customer interest was far greater than we anticipated, given the existence of competition, so we had to beef up our resources. Unfortunately in this highly technical, high-stakes environment, we have had to make a greater effort to get the best. It would do us no good to compound a bad situation by hastily ramping up out tech-support with underskilled personnel.
So we've had to bite the bullet and accept the early criticism of what seemed to be a slow response to customers but what was in fact a necessary quality assurance process.
In light of these issues which did put our customers at a disadvantage, we took the decision in December, that until we got Blink to existing residential TSTT High-speed Internet (ADSL) customers, we would cut their existing monthly rates in half. This 50% discount will continue until their service is ungraded to Blink Broadband.
We are also making improvements with our Help Desk facilities, both in terms of manpower, troubleshooting ability, and diagnostic systems. The goal is to equip them with tools to remotely repair internet issues, inclusive of re-setting modems, changing configurations, etc.
We are making the patient investment in resources to support Blink Broadband now so that in the very near future we can offer customers other innovative products and services that will capitalise on the reliable high bandwidth Broadband services from Blink. These will produce a truly unique on-line experience for all, and put TSTT on course to make good on our promise of delivering the highest quality Broadband product in the nation.
We've had to seamlessly integrate some legacy equipment with new IPDSLAM systems at our exchanges and make all of this work on a new Multi-protocol Layer Switching core inclusive of SMTP and DNS services. At the same time we increased our outbound bandwidth.
Unfortunately, being the national communications service provider, we did not have the luxury of shutting down our entire network for a few weeks to put everything together so we had to do the next best thing. Incrementally roll out, test, refine, expand, test, refine and then start the process again. Regrettably, the service issues experienced by the customers that wrote to you were examples of our early learning experiences.
The good news is the technology transfer that has been happening between TSTT and our partners means that new issues which we anticipate will still arise, will become fewer, of shorter duration and much farther between. Within the next 3 months we expect that we would have returned our service to '5/9' reliability that is 99.999% uptime- as one of your customers alluded.
We must concede however that more could have been done to keep customers in the loop. Although most of the service outages were unintended, we could have shared with customers that our improvements works were being done on live systems and that there would have been a chance service interruptions at random times.
I am nonetheless pleased that in spite of the difficult circumstances the project team remained steadfastly committed to correcting issues as expeditiously as possible.
I can understand how some customers, in the absence of knowing the situation, might have concluded that TSTT's emphasis was on sales and not service but that couldn't be further from the truth.
In addition to local training, we hired additional staff and at the same time employed the services of a technology support centre overseas. Frankly, the initial wave of customer interest was far greater than we anticipated, given the existence of competition, so we had to beef up our resources. Unfortunately in this highly technical, high-stakes environment, we have had to make a greater effort to get the best. It would do us no good to compound a bad situation by hastily ramping up out tech-support with underskilled personnel.
So we've had to bite the bullet and accept the early criticism of what seemed to be a slow response to customers but what was in fact a necessary quality assurance process.
In light of these issues which did put our customers at a disadvantage, we took the decision in December, that until we got Blink to existing residential TSTT High-speed Internet (ADSL) customers, we would cut their existing monthly rates in half. This 50% discount will continue until their service is ungraded to Blink Broadband.
We are also making improvements with our Help Desk facilities, both in terms of manpower, troubleshooting ability, and diagnostic systems. The goal is to equip them with tools to remotely repair internet issues, inclusive of re-setting modems, changing configurations, etc.
We are making the patient investment in resources to support Blink Broadband now so that in the very near future we can offer customers other innovative products and services that will capitalise on the reliable high bandwidth Broadband services from Blink. These will produce a truly unique on-line experience for all, and put TSTT on course to make good on our promise of delivering the highest quality Broadband product in the nation.
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