Over the past
week, Airtel Nigeria sent a text message to its users notifying them that its
blackberry data subscription will stop working on phones that are not
blackberry from the 3rd of December onwards.
The text
message read: “Dear Customer, effective 3rd Dec 2013 AIRTEL BB Plans will cease
to function on non BB devices or used as a modem. Thank you”
This was followed
by reactions from airtel users who are both against and for the action. It was
majorly e-protests on popular social media like Facebook and forums like the
Nigerian Nairaland.
Several users
have claimed that the only reason they use airtel line is because the blackberry
data subscription is usable with other devices like Android smartphones, an
opportunity not available on other networks.
Of course,
the blackberry data subscription is cheaper than the price for other devices.
For instance, blackberry data subscription for 1GB costs 1,200 naira while the
price for the same amount of data on other devices is 3,000 naira.
It is a shame
in the first place that a data plan meant for blackberry was working on other
devices. Airtel was aware of the development but Airtel never complained or
block the non-BB devices because many users have moved into Airtel’s camp just
because of the cheap data.
One question
that baffles me is: why didn’t Airtel extend those plans to other devices
officially since they were already using it?
There is no
stat from Airtel that indicates the exact number of Airtel users who subscribe
to the blackberry data plans on other devices, but it cannot be denied that a
massive number of people use the plan on other devices including PCs.
The publicity
that surrounded the incidence is a testimony to that fact.
Some in
support of Airtel’s decision have claimed this step will improve Airtel’s
service as it has been overcrowded in recent months because of too much
traffic.
This is a
very faulty argument because the last time I checked, Airtel wasn’t the biggest
telecoms company in the Nigeria. Apart from this, if Airtel can’t cope with an
increase in the number of its users, then it is not yet ready to become the
biggest telecoms operator in the country.
I think a
reliable and responsible company should be able to expand its facilities to
cope with increasing number of users.
One other
scenario I’ve been able to cook up is if there is pressure on Airtel from
rivals regarding the plans as it gives Airtel an unfair advantage against other
telecoms companies.
Airtel didn’t
give us a reason for shutting other devices out after it became popular among
smartphone users. One fact clear to everybody is that many people use Airtel
just because of the cheap data.
A high
percentage of these people will jump ship whenever they get a better deal
elsewhere. What is airtel going to gain?
Many things
have always been said about businesses and it has always been said that
customer is king. A business that is not built around the satisfaction of its
customers may have many difficulties, that is if it doesn’t close shop.
This situation
has further underlined the fact that data plans are too expensive for non-BB
phones and it is not affordable for an average Nigerian. Why should Blackberry
get the best plans when we all know it is a fading force in the smartphone
world?
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What will Airtel gain from this move?