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Sports |
Telikom is stirring from long slumber
THE signs are already there. Telikom
has been sleeping for a long time and now that it has been rudely
awaken from its slumber to the realities of the competitive world,
it is disorientated and does not know where to start.
Such is its advertisement in The National (July 11).
This advertisement lacks thought
and research and sadly, reflects poorly on Telikom’s marketing:
1) Why the rush to congratulate PNG on the “successful
election”, when the election has not even been completed and
polling/counting in some areas are being extended, let alone the
chaos it had created with the education calendar.
2) The 50% discount rate on calls to both domestic and
international locations were very attractive, but why would
anybody stay up till midnight to make a call? PNG and eastern
states of Australia at this time of the year are in the
same/similar time zone plus/minus 30 minutes. Japan, South Korea
will be 11pm, Perth, Taiwan, Beijing, Malaysia, Singapore will be
10pm, Jakarta 9pm, London will be 2am the day before, California
6am the day before. These are very odd hours, most people would
have retired to a well earned rest.
If Telikom’s objective was for the volume of calls, then I fail to
see the logic. I would have thought an earlier but limited time
slot say a two-hour slot at 7-9pm or 8-10 pm would have been more
enticing. Telikom may at least get more callers than at midnight.
3) The duration of this offer July 16-31, again, what is
the rationale for this limited time and its coincidental
scheduling with the elections? Is this completely relevant to
international customers? Domestically, I would agree but still at
midnight? For the urban dweller, isn’t the landline an appropriate
option? Further, is the 50% discounted rate any cheaper/lower than
the landline rate? If there is very little difference, why bother.
4) There are other mediums of communications that people
can use (emails, faxes, landlines), so if Telikom was thinking
about “enticing and luring” they’ve got to be a bit smarter.
On a positive side, it is good see Telikom doing something. We
haven’t seen any action for long, long time.
Digicel is a blessing already … but open up the landline and
internet. That would be a complete blessing. Let us hope the new
government goes further than the mobile service.
Francis Waina
Port Moresby
 
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