I would like to see Digi or other mobile operators in our country offering a response to this. In the meantime, let me offer my two sen.
The mobile industry is very competitive and each will try to think of new schemes to out-price one another. The prepaid mobile plans sound good in all the marketing hype, but they don't mention all the hidden costs of building and operating a mobile phone network.
Mobile transmission towers cost millions to build and the network has to continue to transmit radio signals regardless of whether subscribers are making calls or not. Someone has to pay for the cost of building the network (and now the gradual transition to the new 3G network).
Not forgetting the cost of running, powering, monitoring, maintaining and fixing it.
The mobile operator's wireless network is also interconnected through another network of fiber- optic connections that are leased from other third-parties and this also adds to the cost of the business.
Network engineers also make a fair deal of money and the most highly paid ones can make over RM20,000 a month.
Furthermore, some consumers forget that just having access to a mobile network and being in contact is a valuable service. The mobile phone without a network is practically useless.
How much would you pay to have the freedom to sit in a coffee shop the whole day and be in contact with friends and relatives at any time?
How much would you pay to be able in an emergency to quickly dial a loved one to come to rescue you?
The insurance industry has long been making truck loads of money selling ‘what if’ scenarios though most people never encounter them.
The good news is that in Malaysia there are options. I find a good money-saving alternative is to get a supplementary line from a relative and better still - get them to pay the monthly subscription!
One telco has a RM10/month supplementary plan which is cheaper than paying RM6 every few days for other pre-paid plans. Disclaimer: I don't work for the mobile industry.
In the future with the proliferation of free WiFi networks, we may be able to be ‘connected’ to the rest of the world at no cost. But in reality, free will normally translate to poor service.
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