Zoom! and its modem

I subscribed to B-Mobile's Zoom! mobile broadband service when it was first launched last year. At that time, subscribers would get the 3.5G modem, capable of downloading up to 3.6Mbps. DST then launched its Go! mobile broadband service, using modems that could download at a speed of up to 7.2Mbps and this started a mobile broadband war between these two telcos. After that, B-Mobile started to give away modem that was capable of downloading up to 7.2Mbps to new subscribers. In the many roadshows after that, I made inquiries about this 7.2Mbps-capable modems and was told that they would be exchanged for the 3.6Mbps modems. I was quite pleased with that and hoped that it would be done sooner rather than later.

A year on, nothing happened. Last Saturday, I went to B-Mobile's Big Bang Carnival and asked about the 7.2Mbps modem. I was not too pleased when I was told that there was never a plan to exchange the 3.6Mbps ones to 7.2Mbps ones. The 7.2Mbps modems would only be offered to new subscribers. I argued that I was told the opposite during the roadshows but it seemed that it was not ever going to happen. If I were to get the 7.2Mbps, I would have to fork out B$300 for the modem. I was disappointed as I would have thought B-Mobile would not treat their customers differently. And to think that we were among the first ones to subscribe to it meant nothing to them. In fact, being the earlier subscribers meant you lot out on many things. You are stuck with the 'slower' modem. And you didn't have any choice with the bundled laptop. We got the Dell Vostro laptops and the late subscribers were able to choose from a number of other laptops, including Macbook.

And, my 3.5G modem now does not work, as the USB connection came loose. I've passed the one-year warranty period and if I were to get a new one, I'd have to spend B$300! At the moment, I am using my niece's Jet phone from B-mobile.

Does any one of you live along Jalan Jerudong and subscribe to B-Mobile's Zoom! or DST's Go! service? If you do, please let me know your experience with either. A friend of mine who lives along Jalan Jerudong is planning to subscribe to a mobile broadband service and wanted to know how these two fare in the area.