So based on the feedback I received in my previous post I got myself an MTC Touch line the day I arrived to Lebanon. I also subscribed to their 500MB package for $19 which is slightly less then what I pay back in Kuwait for the same amount of bandwidth.
My experience didn’t start positively. I got the line and subscribed to Mobile internet at 6PM but I only had my internet activated the next morning. Then I only had EDGE not 3G. I called up customer support and found it very frustrating.
First of all it takes a few minutes of redialing to actually connect to 111. Then when you connect you are FORCED to listen to all the menu options. You can’t skip by pressing the number you want, it doesn’t work that way. You need to hear the automated machine read out ALL the options and only once she is done you can select an option. So what should be a 10 second process is suddenly a minute long. I spoke to customer support 3 times and it was frustrating all 3 times since they couldn’t solve my issue. One guy said I should wait till its 24 hours since I signed up, another said to call again after 24 hours and they would register a complaint, another said I should visit the service center. When I asked for the APN information one guy told me he didn’t have it and I should visit their website. Actually one guy refused to file a complaint even because according to him the service was working since I got EDGE. I told him aren’t you guys advertising 3G? Aren’t you guys advertising the fastest mobile internet? My phone works with 3G and I’m only getting EDGE not the 3G you promised so the service is NOT working.
Anyway finally after spending around 20 minutes on the line mostly on hold a guy got back to me after discussing it with one of his IT guys. This is how I was able to activate 3G on my iPhone 4s based on their instructions:
– Go to network settings and choose Alfa as my operator
– Then after I do that I should swap it back to automatic
– Turn off and on the iPhone
– Voila, 3G is now active
I thought that was strange but hey, it worked and that’s all I cared for. If the guy told me to stand on my foot while shaking the phone over my head I would have done that if it meant getting 3G working.
And yes, 3G on the iPhone is great. It’s fast and I love it. Earlier I went and parked under this old railway track in Jounieh and got online with my MacBook while tethering to my iPhone and the connection was great. I used to hate coming to Lebanon because of the terribly slow internet connection but now it’s suddenly become a joy. I also have 3G up in my house in Seheili (around 10 minutes after Jeita) which is also great. So right now I’m extremely happy with my 3G on MTC Touch.
– OT –
Mark,
What kind of freedom of speech is that when you restrict my comments on your other blog?
Less than Kuwait ! really ?
and yeah those operators don’t know anything about technology, I wonder how they got their jobs.
Yup ! Told u it worked in seheili. Sorry for not mentioning the telecom, i have mtc as well 🙂
How did you get the tethering to work from your iphone? is it jailbroken?
It’s available through the iPhone ever since ios4 or 4.3 I think. They call it personal hotspot
I know it is. but i couldn’t get it to work in Lebanon. with alfa. It asks me to contact the telco
If if makes you feel better I had that happen when I first bought my bb here in Canada. I pay $25 for 500MB.. so good on. And they do tell you to wait 24 hrs for the services to work properly.. and making the 3G work sometimes means you need to adjust phone settings.
My mtc 3g is not working on my brand new factory unlocked iphone 4s . I called them twice this week, but the problem is still not fixed. I know that the problem is not coming from the phone because alfa 3g works on that very same iphone.
Not only is this already obsolete technology overpriced, but they cannot even make it work.
Is this what the minister had in mind when he was talking about making lebanon a puoneer in information technology? What a joke.
Try the trick I posted
Try upgrading the software – iPhone 4S is facing some problems with 3G operators.
Link : http://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/16/new-ios-5-0-1-build-9a406-intended-to-fix-no-sim-card-errors-on-iphone-4s/
With Alfa all it needed to work was a phone restart (that might have done the trick for you since it seems you needed to force a reconnect to your provider).
Took me 5min to setup.
Nice post Mark! Different people are having different experiences with 3G. We’re trying to document them at 3gtestlabs.com.
How are you tethering your 3G btw? (via Bluetooth, wi-fi or USB?)
Rawan from Think Media Labs
Personal hotspot only works via USB or bluetooth
Thanks for your feedback! Enjoy your stay in Lebanon!
Hi
the funny thing that your idea woked for me
How come yours got connected to alpha I fallowed the instructions only problem is my device does not connect o alpha.. Which is a pain oh wait nvm UT WORKED. !!! Thanks man ! =D