Mobilink launches linkdotnet, joins Broadband party with spaghetti soup
Business Tech, Networks+Connectivity Add commentsI’m sure everyones seen the ho-humm print ads by now introducing Mobilink’s DSL-broadbad venture , Link dot net. Basically, this is link dot net’s structure :
link dot net = (Dancom+WOL) / (Some ex-cybernet management guys)
Feels like spaghetti soup you say? I agree! There isnt much integration and its very visible that this is really a “mash up” made to look like a single entity. After Mobilink’s failed cybernet accquisition bid (many say that was a bad move by Cybernet to not take the offer), Mobilink went out and bought out floundering ISPs like Dancom and WOL, DVcom, injected capital and experienced management and relaunched the services as link dot net.
And :: Bad marketing abound. There are TWO websites. The one i went to is -terrible-. AND its heavy. I need to ask their marketing gurus that if I were looking for a DSL connection for my house, would’nt I probably be on DIALUP?!?! The darn thing doesn’t open on a slow connection. One is link Pakistan and the other is link dot net. I am totally confused but I’ve tried to save you the pain I went through, the rates are here .
Rates are low and 30% cheaper, basically the strategy seems to be to underprice the incumbents.
Given how profitable Broadband can be, its a good idea, but too little too late? Small but fast growing company Maxcomm has been beating everyones pants off in the sector, mostly due to reliable connectivity and good customer service. Multinet’s pretty strong too. In this area low price may not be the prime concern over data integrity for most high end users.
Overall, I’m not impressed. The marketings low-average conventional, even bad. Websites are messed up, and I don’t know why you would use TWO websites and then cross link them. I guess somewhere someone’s a sadist. Someone please ask link dot net to hire a usability expert to fix their problems!
here are the urls if you like to spend time digging out information meant to be in front of you at all times:
Popularity: 54% [?]
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February 11th, 2008 at 6:12 am
A dull site but surprisingly competitive rates … What do you say about UnLimited volume/month? Really? I don’t think so ..
February 12th, 2008 at 3:12 am
As far as the website is concerned its almost the replica of their group site link.net, and such things may occur when companies expand themselves. I remember when Telenor launched in Pakistan had the high tech kind of ads (not popular in pakistan) which did not give them the impact as required in the local maeket.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:30 am
Mohtashim: A bit of information here:
OT is tapping the broadband/data market in Pakistan using two competing wings - Mobilink’s internal Data and LDI wing which has not separate brand name. These guys are providing long distance bandwidths to corporates and the nationwide Wimax Roll out under the Mobilink’s brand name.
The second OT company, which as nothing to do with Mobilink in terms of organization is LinkDotNet which you have referred to in your post. They are doing DSL mainly as well as Wimax on a limited scale to corporate customers. LDN, as you’ve mentioned, is composed of ex-resources of WOL and Dancom Online and hare now hiring technical resources from various old players like Cybernet etc.
My guess is that having two companies to fight each other for a vast, untapped, under-served Pakistani’ market is a well thought off decision on part of OT.
February 13th, 2008 at 2:41 am
I guess its well thought out decision.Or not. Though the last company I know to do that almost killed itself. (anyone heard of IBM’s state in the early 90’s?). Doesn’t seem to be a good concentrated, integrated exercise in brand, marketing and sales, more like, “lets just let them loose and see what they do”
February 13th, 2008 at 2:42 am
btw Tee Emm, thanks for the update on the story!
February 14th, 2008 at 2:38 am
Well Maxcom has also revised its packages,
Home 128 has now become Home 256 for the same price
Home 256 has now become Home 512
Home 512 has now become Home 768
a large number of our clients have been updated according to new packages, the rest will be updated as well as soon as our backhaul provisioning is completed which will probably take a week. Official announcements will follow once the upgrades are completed.
March 23rd, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Boss! i jst wana say try once LINKDSL and feel the change its true that we change the way YOU live
LINKdotNET Team member
March 27th, 2008 at 2:36 am
I live in Wah Cantt. I subscribed to Linkdotnet last month.
It performed well for week. On my 256k package, gave me a consistent 25KB/s download/upload. Right after a week, they started ‘upgrading’ all the customers to the next package (512kbps in my case) for the same cost. Since that day, my downloads range from 5KB/s to 20KB/s, usually averaging at 10KB/s. Its been 2 weeks, my package has not been ‘upgraded’, the modem still connects at 250/254. The download is still pathetic, not to mention the latency. Much of my time is spent making and recieving calls from their technical support, usually simply telling them that my problem has NOT been solved, soon after which the conversation ends with a promise to look into it.
It has DEFINITELY changed the way I live.
March 28th, 2008 at 6:02 am
in a good way or a bad way? heheh
April 29th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I had a very poor experience of Link Dot Net’s DSL connection. Currently they are suffering by “internet disconnection issues”. The connection session automatically expires after every two minutes. So after reading comments about Wateen telecom, I will switch to Wateen telecom. I hope they will provide high speed with no disconnection issues that Link Dot Net has.
Anyways, I have written a blog post where I have shared my thoughts about poor services by Link Dot Net. You can read this blog at http://linkdotnet.wordpress.com/2008/04/26/link-dot-net-linknet-disconnection-problems/
Thanks for your attention.
May 24th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Dancom (now link.net) has introduced a very unique internet package for Wah Cantt i.e. “Dialup over DSL”. What a innovation from Dancom!!!
My Dialup and GPRS works better than their DSL. Normal rate is 4K and burstable to 9K, though my package is 256K
May 25th, 2008 at 8:10 am
Link.net wah Cantt ( dialup over DSL ) Wata Service Provider
I have a billing issue with Link.net.
last week i went to frenchize and asked about my package they said 512 k. I said then wat should be price they said for 512 K price is Rs. 1250.
It cost Rs.1250 for 512 so wat it will be for 40 to 100 K and with 100 disconnects per day free ?? kindly bill me according to this package then ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. result is my connection is terminated. Wata service provider.
Dial up over dsl zinda bad..