The FINANCIAL — Last week communication giants Akhali Kselebi and Akhtel switched off customers of Caucasus Online, local Georgian internet provider. On February 1, 2008, arguments were held between Akhali Kselebi and Caucasus Online in the Regulatory Commission.
The arguing topic was that Akhali Kselebi is making Caucasus Online pay subscribers fares which have never been in the Caucasus Online net. The number of such subscribers is more than 800 persons. During the argument Akhali Kselebi demanded Caucasus Online pay those fares which went under its membership. This order was acknowledged as a wrong demand by the Communicational Regulatory Commission of Georgia.
The commissions charged both parties to make a compression of calculations and to review the wrongly made accounts in 2006. These companies must do calculations of each other after these compressions and calculations.
Besides the commissions’ decision, LTD Akhteli and Akhali Kselebi insisted that Caucasus Online pay off its debts. The companies switched off Caucasus Online subscribers without warning.
Caucus Online believes that the subscribers’ being switched off is a measure of punishment and that the press is serving to intimidate and discredit Caucuses Online. “The company is taking innocent clients’ rights to be provided freely with internet. It must be mentioned that besides the individual subscribers corporate clients and strategic objects were switched off as well.”
“Caucasus Online owes GEL 147 thousand at the current moment, but by the end of February 25, the debt will be increased to GEL 300 thousand. If the company do not cover the debt Akhali Kselebi will switch off all subscribers of Caucasus Online. Today the company has 8 000-8 500 subscribers. On February 4, only 100-200 subscribers were switched off,” Mzia Kapanadze, the Head of Marketing Akhali Kselebi, declared to The FINANCIAL.
According to Eka Machitadze, PR Manager of Caucasus Online, the theme is disputable.
“Caucasus Online plans to cover all debts but the amount of the sum is arguable and the company will not cover the nominated sum. The nominated sum has not been approved by the Regulatory Commission. Caucasus Online will wait for the commission’s decision,” Machitadze added.
Caucasus Online offers several types of services to its customers. These service packages are Mini, Standard, Business and Business +. The prices of these packages are deferent and a customer chooses them according to their needs. Mini is the cheapest package and costs GEL 50, the speed is 56 Kbytes/ m – 256 Kbytes/ m. Standard costs GEL 70, the speed is 80 Kbytes/ m – 1Mega Bytes/m. The Business package costs GEL 120, the speed is 128 Kbytes/ m -1MegaBytes/ m. The price of Business + is GEL 300 and the speed is 256 Kbytes/ m -1MegaBytes/ m.
Besides Caucasus Online and Akhali Kselebi, the Georgian market is represented by other internet providers: Wanex, Greennet, Geonet, and Telenet.
The Geonet service is available for the following subscribers: 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 98, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 22, 23, 25 and 29.
Geonet has the following packages GEONET Basic, GEONET Business and GEONET Business Plus. GEONET Basic costs GEL 70 per month and the speed is 64 kbps – 1 mbps. Connection to Georgian Internet resources is free of charge, 20 MB Web space free, Virtual mail server with 20 mail-boxes free, Static IP Address free, Installation free.
GEONET Business costs 120 GEL per month and the speed is 128 kbps – 1 mbps. Connection to Georgian Internet resources is free of charge, 40 MB Web space free, Virtual mail server with 40 mail-boxes free, 4 Static IP Addresses free, Installation free and a month Stop List free.
The price of GEONET Business Plus is GEL 269 per month and the speed is 256 kbps – 1 mbps. Connection to Georgian Internet resources is free of charge, 50 MB Web space free, Virtual mail server with 50 mail-boxes free, 8 Static IP Addresses free, Installation free and 1 month Stop List free.
According to Wanex, the company has corporate clients and their tariffs are concealed, they deferred from naming any exact prices. Any company which wants to become a Wanex subscriber must present a special letter at the company and tariff information will be given after that.
“Wanex does not want everyone to know its tariffs. It is simply the company’s policy. Everyone knows that other providers declare their tariffs without any problem, Caucasus Online and Geonet for example.
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