Dear Editor,
Since October last year I have been subscribing to GTT’s Flame Plan on its Blaze internet service. Prior to this I was on the DSL Gold Plan for almost a decade.
On both plans (DSL Gold & Blaze Flame), up until 2 weeks ago, I was able, without any hindrance, to remotely view the images from the surveillance cameras at my home via either my phone or tablet. Unable to view the images, I solicited the help of an independent IT technician who verified that GTT has blocked the port that was enabling the viewing of the images.
On January 21, 2019 at about 8.30 am I called the company’s customer service on number 097 and spoke with one Susan, who after a while informed me that her supervisor has advised her to inform me that I would have to upgrade my Blaze Flame plan to the Inferno before I could remotely access the cameras images, since the viewing requires a higher bandwidth.
I immediately objected to the supervisor’s advice. My contention is that with the previous DSL Gold plan that had a bandwidth of a maximum 10 mbps and the Blaze Flame, which I currently have, with maximum bandwidth of 20 mbps, I effectively have been accessing the images. So if the bandwidth on both of these plans was inadequate I would not have been able to view the images.
I could only conclude that GTT has disabled the system, not for the inadequacy of the bandwidth, but to force the consuming public who wishes to access the service as I do to unnecessarily upgrade to a higher and more expensive service. This is not right.
I have officially lodged this complaint with the Public Utilities Commission and will also be approaching the Consumers Association.
For security and confidential reasons, I have refrained from publishing the particulars of my account.
Yours faithfully
(Name and address supplied)