ISPs Dodging Customers – Claiming Free Internet which is Rs. 6.03 per Hour

brain_net1Be informed that all Internet Service Providers, who claim that you can use FREE dial-up internet is not really free. All internet calls (with 131 numbers) are now charged at 20 minutes pulse rate – Meaning that, if you dial your ISP, your one unit will go away when connection establishes. After every 20 minutes, your units will keep dropping until you disconnect. Hence, you will consume 3 units if you use internet for one hour; that’s Rs. 6.03 per hour. And these call charges will appear in PTCL’s next month bill.

On other hands, ISPs are advertising through Emails campaigns to customers, offering them free internet while providing open user name and password for free use. These ISPs include Link dot Net, Sky Net, Comsats, Brain Net and others.

It merits mentioning here that this billing model is being executed since February 1st, 2009, and this model was result of an agreement between PTCL and ISPs. (Complete details of this agreement is covered here)

Authorities concerned should take proper action against this act, and should ask ISPs to inform customers in a proper way about new model, so that they know their charges before next month’s PTCL bill.

You guys can express your agony below in comments…!

Update: Link Dot Net (WOL) and Brain Customer support confirmed that local call charges will apply after 20 minutes, while Comsats CSR said that no additional calls will be charged, instead a single call will be charged for unlimited time of connection.

No doubt, consumers will get more confused

Tech and telecom reporter for over 15 years


  • AOA
    Dear All,
    COMSATS Internet Services is offering this service free of cost right now. PTCL charges for 20 mints per call are not yet implemented so far. Whenever PTCL start to charge 20 Mint per call COMSATS will inform his valued customers. As COMSATS never deduct any hidden charges from his valued clients. Right now in February 2009 COMSATS is offering absolutely FREE dialup internet.

  • This is what I was considering that Comsats has free internet. But didnt know the real picture.

  • Well, if anyone thought this stuff will be absolutely free then i give props to them for still being utterly NAIVE! OF COURSE there are some hidden charges and of course ISPs like LINKdotNET are sharing revenue with PTCL on this WITH PTA’S CONSENT. Nothing in life is EVER 100% free!!

    • OF COURSE, NOTHING is free, you have to pay the price for everything, it might be known, or hidden…

  • wht the heck…
    i m using PTCL via dial up..do they charge one unit after 20 minutes too??

  • Guy’s i am living in Barakahu site towards Muree and there is not DSL connectivity, so i always use Dialup of WOL by LINKdotNET and now we are listning about Free Dialup services, i think it’s good defentely we have to pay some thing atleast to recover taxes etc but better than previous ….

  • It’s better than having to buy ‘cards’ again and again in far flung locations where DSL isn’t available!

  • really i agreed, we can’t forget dialup even we have serveral tastes of Broadband now a day’s.

    appriciate LinkdotNET and other ISp’s for this effort.

  • What a bad decision taken under the umbrella of PTA!

    I’m a poor student and cannot afford broadband internet. Due to my course requirement, I am a regular Dial-Up Internet User and have been using LinkDotNet’s Rs.50 Card offering 25 hours; i.e. Rs.2/hour. My daily average internet usage is 4 hours that was just Rs. 10.43 = (2 * 4) + (2.01 + 0.42 GST) before but now it costs Rs. 29.19 = 4 * ((2.01 + 0.42) * 3).

    (2.01 + 0.42) is charges for a local.
    0.42 is the 21% GST on 2.01.

    Let’s assume that during the usage of 4 hours, I encounter 3 disconnections. Even then it did cost 17.29 = (2 * 4) + {(2.01 + 0.42 GST) * 3}, much less than 29.19.

    What is this government doing with poor! I’ve heard that the former chairman of the PTA, Shehzada Alam had rejected this proposal once.

    On the one side, ISPs claiming falsely the internet is free but on the other side, poor public is still buying internet scratch cards unknowingly, benefiting the ISPs two folds. I myself have scratch cards of around Rs.350 and they are now just waste.

    • Sherjeel sb aoa pls contact me at ________ & _____________ & I will tell u the solution for this sir i will tell u the solution in which u will be charged 1 LOCAL CALL but I will CHARGE NOMINAL FEE for this which company cards u have pls tell me are they CYBER NET or some else ISP. Please contact me. Thank you.

      [Comment Edited]

  • I was also not known of that.And many our my relatives don’t know and using it.Thats i think cheating by all these ISP companies.

  • Ptcl say bara fradiya is mulk may koi nahee
    pehlay internet free kara dya , jab sari Isp’s
    bait gayen or unho nay scratch cards khatam kardia to ab ptcl 20 ps /min charge kar raha hay

    ptcl is professional fradiay

  • I want to inform all my friends that all ISP’S are charging RS6/- PER HOUR & there is no solution for this except to use DSL but if anybody needs any help pls contact me at: ___________ & ______________ & I can extend some help but I will charge NOMINAL FEE for this so that 1 LOCAL CALL is charged to them. Anybody who needs help can contact me. Thank you.

    [Comment Edited]


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