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Derived Regulation

Harnessing tech to address a nation's challenges

by Lim Sheng Ming , Brunei Darussalam

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Pay-per-view-style high-speed access

Oct 30, 2009 08:17

Local ISP incumbent TelBru is introducing pay-per-view access to high(er) Internet speeds.

The service, called Speed on Demand, is pretty much self-explanatory: Users pay an hourly rate for a temporary boost in their Internet speeds. Residential packages max out at 512kbit/s and this plan is making 1Mb/s and 2Mb/s available to the masses.

I think this is a great opportunity for TelBru to gauge just how much it can make by offering higher Internet speeds. A brain-dead monkey would be able to tell you that Bruneians want higher Internet speeds, but the real question is how much are they willing to pay for it? According to my brother, the 1Mb/s line is priced at BND0.90/hour, while the 2MB/s line is charged at BND1.50/hour. Not too bad for a temporary service.

The rollout hasn't been too impressive, though. The biggest complaint is that Speed on Demand isn't yet available to all customers but only newer ones. Word on the street is that current subscribers are on one of two networks, so older users are going to have to wait.

The other annoyance is that users can book only 1-hour blocks. So if you've planned a 4-hour network gaming session, you'll need to place a new order every hour. The order process is all done online, but it's still a needless step.

Neither of these problems is a show-stopper and the speed appears to be real. There's certainly a market for this right now. I know I'd be taking advantage of it if only I wasn't on the older network >_<

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About Lim Sheng Ming

Tired of relatives misspelling his name, Lim Sheng Ming christened himself "LSM". Born in Brunei, he is currently based in intoxicating Japan where he is supposed to be doing research. A published writer, an accomplished Latin dancer, a Tai Chi practitioner and a committed Lifehacker, he still finds time to follow standards-based Web development and promote Internet accessibility. He is also one of the few who have switched from a Mac (but don't judge him for that).