[size=15pt]The Nigeria Bulletin - [/size] Uproar As Airtel Moves To Stop All Non-blackberry Devices From Using BIS



This Was Published on The Nigeria Bulletin

The message in itself is quite self-explanatory. Android and iPhone users in Nigeria know that Airtel's Unlimited Blackberry plan works on their devices as well, and that while it may be unlimited on a BlackBerry, non-blackberry users graciously get 2GB for a subscription of N1,500.

I say 'graciously' because other network providers are not so 'lenient' on non-BlackBerry users. The average cost of 1.5 GB on most networks is N3,000-N3,500, and 3GB costs N5000-N6,500, and Nigerians have been lamenting that this price is not friendly on their pocket. So, it is easy to see why, upon discovering that Airtel's BIS plan of N1,500 gives non-BlackBerry devices 2GB of data, there was a mass-porting to Airtel, and everyone enjoyed 'subsidized' data for several months...

...Until today when people received the SMS above informing them that the "subsidy" was going to be removed by December 3rd, 2013.


...AND TWITTER CRIED

I logged on to Twitter afterwards to see people feeling very distraught. Some people were making some hilarious predictions that Instagram (that photo-heavy application) will see less frequent uploads with Airtel's ban on its BIS data plan on Non-Blackberry phones, while some people suggested that upcoming musicians will 'harass' people a lot less with links to their uploaded songs.

Some people cried out in anger that Airtel will regret its actions, lamenting that Airtel's data speed wasn't all that great in the first place (apparently, they had been staying on solely for the cheap rates) and now that it was gone, they would 'port' to a more reliable and efficient network.

Internet photos and memes were soon flying in no time, too.

IRATE CONSUMERS: THREATS OR GUARANTEE?

Pained Airtel subscribers have begun making predictions that this fresh move by Airtel will lead to the toppling of the network provider, as it is about to lose a lot of subscribers. Online Airtel users threatened to burn their SIM cards, come December 3rd, while others said they would port to neighboring networks. A few said that Airtel's move was a poor business strategy and that it would not end well.


http://www.nigerianbulletin.com/threads/uproar-as-airtel-moves-to-stop-all-non-blackberry-devices-from-using-bis-photos.24178/#.Up-gTieASiY

Airtel should take their BIS and shove it up their airhole. Enough.