Afterword

ThimphuTech was the first technology blog in Bhutan. We started writing it in 2009, just as broadband and mobile internet started to take off. (Although internet in Bhutan was launched in 1999, it was either super-slow or super-expensive, and was only used by a selected few).

In the blog, we wrote about technology and food, but also about plenty of other stuff. The blog became popular and influential in Bhutan. A companion bi-weekly column -- Ask Boaz -- was published for many years in the Kuensel, Bhutan's national newspaper. (The complete Kuensel columns are available as an ebook, Blogging with Dragons).

We stopped updating the blog when we left Bhutan in 2014, but the information within the posts can still prove useful, and thus we decided to keep it online.

We thank all our readers.
Tashi Delek,
Boaz & Galit.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Good news for smartphone users

Someone at B-Mobile must be reading our blog. Last week we pleaded for reducing the mobile Internet rates for smartphone users. The good news: Starting February 1, the pay-per-use rate for prepaid & postpaid users will be reduced by a factor of 10. The previous rate was Nu 0.003 / KB, which translates to Nu 3150 per GB. The new rate is Nu 0.0003 / KB, which amounts to Nu 315 per GB.

What does this mean? While the pay-per-use rate is still 50% more expensive than postpaid data plans, surfing the Internet using a phone - prepaid or postpaid - has become affordable. A significant step in the right direction.

4 comments:

  1. This is good new, but I just don't get Druknet.

    It's the opposite for broadband internet packages. Their postpaid broadband packages are cheaper than prepaid package. Not counting the additional charges for post paid use, the packages as per their website are;
    - 2.5GB is Nu399 (prepaid) and Nu499 (postpaid)
    - 8GB is Nu 1499 (pre) and 1599 (post)
    - 15GB is Nu 2499 (pre) aand Nu2999 (post)

    I was told it's cheaper for prepaid packages since these users pay upfront while postpaid users take a while to pay their bills! I wonder what is so different for prepaid mobile users.


    They had at one time used "druknet@yahoo.com" to send information to prepaid broadband customers. I had suggested them to be more professional and to use a "druknet.bt" email account. Since they seemed to communicate with prepaid customers, I had also suggested them to send an automated email for prepaid users notifying them when their account was running low or nearing expiration. It ran sporadically for a while. But now we have to send an sms to check our balance manually. I however only check this balance when my connection does not work. Then it means either or three things, there is a technical problem, my prepaid limit is exhausted or package has expired. If it's a technical problem the sms service shows my account is valid. However if the package is expired or exhausted, I don't see a value, especially since I'm surfing or working after office hours when there is no way to renew/recharge the pre-paid package.

    Logging in and changing passwords is another headache for another day.

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  2. This is great news! thanks to you Boaz Shmueli for talking about these concerns on your blog. :D

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  3. can we use pocket wifi router?

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