Hundreds of mobile network related complaints are posted on social media networks everyday in Malaysia. Many of these complaints are related to poor 4G coverage, slow mobile Internet speeds, billing issues, among others.
What can consumers do about these issues? In this article, we explore on 4 things You Can Do if you are Not Happy with your current Mobile Telco service provider.
1. Make an Official Complaint
The first thing you should always do is to make an official complaint with your mobile service provider. They are reachable mainly on their website and social media pages such as Facebook and Twitter.
Most importantly, you should share all the required information as requested by the customer service agent, such as a speedtest result, type of device and the exact location of the problem. Finally, get a case number to ensure that a complaint has been recorded in the system.
Below are some of contact pages of the mobile Telcos in Malaysia:
- Celcom – website
- Digi – website
- U Mobile – website
- Unifi – website
- Tune Talk – website
- redONE – website
- Maxis – website
Normally a simple problem gets resolved easily but a 4G network coverage issue may take years to resolve. If you are not happy with the outcome of your complaint, make a complaint to Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), link here.
If you intend to port out to another Telco due to the issues you are facing, mention this in your complaint to MCMC, and give the Telco a final chance to resolve the problem.
Once the complaint is marked Closed and if you are not happy with the resolution, try the other methods below.
2. Spend Less Money with your 4G Mobile Service Provider
As a protest, you may choose to spend less money every month with your Telco. Chances are, you are probably paying too much for something that you use less.
For example, postpaid customers commit a fixed amount of monthly fee every month, even if they don’t use all the available quota for Internet and voice. This is a wastage of money. Prepaid customers have more control on how much they spend and use every month. And these days, there aren’t many difference between prepaid and postpaid plans.
On average, a prepaid customer spends an average about RM30-RM35 a month while Postpaid customers spend about two times more between RM60-RM85 a month in Malaysia.
When more customers spend less money with a Telco, it would eventually affect their revenue and profit. This serves as a reminder on the importance of their customers and the priority of customer satisfaction.
However, keep in mind that it is not always the Telco’s fault. For example, if you are at Home, you should be using a WiFi network for Internet since Telco’s don’t guarantee indoor coverage. One of the best fixed fibre broadband provider is TIME Internet and you can sign up without contract. You can also check out the fibre services from Celcom, Digi and U Mobile. If you can’t sign up for fixed fibre broadband, then check out the wireless broadband options, here and here.
3. Use Dual SIM Cards
There’s no such thing as a perfect Telecommunication provider in the world. But there are always loyal customers.
Some customer may prefer a certain Telco even if the service may not always be up to their expectation. For example, some people may enjoy great 4G coverage and speed most of the time, but not while at home or in a certain area, such as workplace. A quick workaround is to get a secondary SIM card as a backup.
Dual SIM is a common feature these days allowing you to use two SIM cards in a smartphone. You can always use your secondary SIM in areas where you experience poor coverage/speed with your Primary SIM. The cheapest option to maintain a secondary SIM is to get a prepaid plan with 365 days of validity, allowing you to use the SIM anytime you want, without a fixed monthly fee. Check out some of the Prepaid plans with 365 days validity here.
Dual SIM card is also a great option for consumers who can’t port out/terminate and tied to a contract.
4. Port out to a different 4G Telco
Now if you already tried all the above and nothing has improved, porting out is your last resort. Mobile Number Portability (MNP) gives you the freedom to switch to a different mobile service provider, while retaining your existing phone number.
Porting is an important decision and it must be considered carefully. For example, will the new mobile service provider fix your current 4G Internet issues? Will you get a better overall experience with the new Telco?
Porting out may not necessarily resolve a network coverage problem if all the 6 mobile Telcos in Malaysia don’t have 2G/4G coverage in that particular area. This happens when it is impossible to set up a 4G Telco tower in that area due to geographical reason or no electricity. In some cases, the state Government or city council may not have allowed the Telcos to build those 4G towers.
To make things less complicated, you should get a temporary prepaid SIM from your preferred Telco and try out the network for about a month. If you are satisfied, you can walk in to the service centre of your new preferred Telco and request for a mobile number port in. This process takes around 2 days if your existing mobile plan is free from service contract and any pending bills.
For more information on MNP, check out this PDF FAQ.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purpose only. For more details, please refer to your respective mobile Telecommunication service provider.
