LIME DSL service in parts of Tortola doesn’t give people what they’re paying for. In my area of West End, every night and most mornings the service is so slow it’s unusable. Does this sound familiar you? I’m writing this letter to encourage LIME DSL users to measure their actual service and keep LIME honest.
So how do you measure DSL service? Open up a Web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome, for example). Click on the address bar and type “speedtest.net.” After the page loads you’ll see a button labelled “Begin Test.” Click that button, and your system’s speed will be tested. When the test is done, find the value labelled “Download Speed.” This is the actual rate at which your system connects to the Internet. I use the “speedtest.net” app on my iPhone, which is also available on Android smartphones. You should run several tests to verify the results. You should also change the remote server being used in case some are busy and give false readings.
If you are paying around $50 per month, your maximum download rate will be between 700 kilobits per second and one megabit per second. Values below 300 kilobits per second will cause slow page loading; values below 200 will make your Internet experience very tedious. I often see values as low as 10 kilobits, which really means that my DSL system is practically unusable. Yet I still have to pay the same amount every month for service I don’t get half the time.
Upgrades needed
I’ve been working with LIME for months to try to improve our situation in West End. In spite of lots of attention from LIME technicians, things are still getting worse. It’s clear to me that LIME must upgrade its equipment in parts of Tortola to give fair value for the money we pay every month. So far, they will not tell me anything about their plans for this.
What if you bought 3,000 gallons of water but the truck delivered only 30? You’d laugh if the driver claimed that they can’t be held responsible for shortages from the water plant. LIME’s DSL service agreement states that they are not responsible for congestion. This is understandable, but it appears that LIME’s outdated equipment and poor diagnostic skills are causing this problem. Service providers should be held responsible for the quality of their service.
Please test your Internet speed and add your complaints to ours if you find your service to be poor. LIME should be encouraged to provide the service its customers are paying for.