The battle of the service providers

Article published on 26 February 2014

In an age where we are instantly in touch and constantly reachable, from all corners of the world you are pretty much expected to have your cel phone on you and switched on at all times. The trick here, is to pick a service provider that is 'switched on' to what you need when you need it and is able to provide it.

It's great being offered a whole lot of free things. Especially free minutes. Keeping your phone bill low is always in the back of your mind so you grab the free minutes, only to discover that they can only be accessed at 2:30 in the morning. Yay, now you can call your mom, just to keep her on her toes, or if you feel the need for a little abuse, use those minutes to call your grumpy neighbour.

Why insist that people all over buy your product? What of the people in those godforsaken towns where cel phone towers are a novelty and your competitors own them. I've been offered a wonderful telephone, internet combo, actually, I had such a combo thrust at me. Thrust is the only word I can think of to describe the way in which my attention was brought to this product, only to discover that it doesn't work in the area where I live. I know what you're thinking, my hometown is quite metropolitan by certain standards.

The same goes for the wireless phenomenon which has now become the norm. They forget to tell you that it only works if there is a direct line with no obstructions between you and the source of the signal. Neither should you eat your lunchtime pie at your desk if it is in that little metal container.

Of course there is also the question of getting the service activated, which can take anything from a few minutes to a whole week or sometimes more.

In a world where instant and constant are more than just buzz words, you would do well to research your service provider and the type of service they offer, and what sets them apart before you make any decisions.