ISPs claim they alone not responsible for slow internet speed

KATHMANDU: As complaints of subscribers having to deal with slow internet speed grow the internet service providers (ISPs) have mentioned that they alone are not responsible for the problem.

Speaking during a virtual interaction organized on Saturday by the Tech Journos Forum (TJF), ISPs have stated the slow internet speed is also due to the bandwidth suppliers and some servers and in a few cases the mobile applications that people are using are also to blame for the problem.

Speaking during the interaction,Vinay Mohan Saud, CEO of Subisu , said that internet speed could slow down if there are any issues at Tata or Airtel in India or also due to excessive usage of the services. According to him, internet speed can also be slow if the consumer uses low-quality devices.

“It is reasonable for consumers to complain about the slow internet speed. Due to the increasing competition in the market some ISPs might have promised high internet speed and somehow they could have failed to address that demand. However, ISPs alone are not responsible for the low internet speed,” Saud said. “We are just a bridge between consumers and servers or any application. If there is a problem in any one of these then there will be a problem in internet speed,” he clarified.

Sometimes the applications that consumers are using can cause problems, however, consumers are not aware about this and blame the ISPs for the slow speed, he said. “We cannot sort out the issue if the problem has occurred at Facebook, TikTok or YouTube for example,” he added.

Meanwhile, Managing Director of Vianet Communications,Vinay Bohora, said that the issues related to internet speed are a never-ending process.

“Most people are not aware but currently the internet speed in the country is slow due to the massive use of the TikTok app. In the future another app like TikTok might be introduced and internet speed could be slower,” he said. “That is why problems regarding slow internet speed cannot be completely solved.”

Bohora further informed that the country does not have the proper infrastructure and equipment to manage the increasing demand of internet services. Nepali ISPs buy bandwidth from other countries and if there are any issues there then that will definitely affect our service, he added. “Sometimes, unhealthy competition among ISPs also creates problems with internet speed,” he stated.

Moreover, due to the COVID-19 pandemic issues related to internet speed have increased in the last few months. As people have to remain indoors due to the lockdown and prohibitory orders more consumers are using internet services. It is particularly the increasing use of TikTok, Facebook and YouTube that has slowed down internet speed.
As per Saud, use of Google has increased by 37 percent and that of Facebook by 72 percent and TikTok by 75 percent during this pandemic.

Addressing the interaction, telecommunication expert Anand Raj Khanal said that consumers have to learn to compromise with the services that ISPs are providing amid this crisis. While the developed countries have increased the bandwidth for quality internet during the pandemic, the Nepali government has asked ISPs to provide discounts to consumers and not done anything substantial regarding the infrastructure. “The internet is a complicated system that the government, regulatory body and consumers have still to understand about a lot,” he said, adding, “ISPs alone are not responsible for internet services.”

He further said that the lengthy process involved to sort out any problem in the country is another hindrance for quality internet services. “The government has never tried to understand and sort out the issue and is limited to only giving various directions to the ISPs,” Khanal added.