Hitting o­n hard times isn't all too uncommon for Tonga's poor, or aren't we all poor, but more recently it seems that our high flyers are beginning to hit o­n that thing called reality.

Tonfon/Shoreline's recent behaviour seems to indicate some problems, or maybe I've got nothing else to do than whine ...

We recently recieved an intimidating letter from Tonfon that we better pay up our Internet bill, a month in advance now, because of too many problems with late or non payments. Real intimidating stuff when I look back at our receipts and clearly find that we have always pre-paid our Internet connection o­n the first week of each month.

hmmmmWhat else is happening over there ?

Just yesterday a radio advert from the venerable Shoreline Power tells everyone that the special discount you got for paying early will be cancelled effective in three days. Hmmmmmm, as I recall two things are important about this statement.

1. The early payment, discount program really did work and people were queueing up to make sure they paid their bills early.

2. The early payment program was instigated because you know the Power Board had bills going back to when grandma was a baby.

Earlier last month TCC started cutting prices for overseas calls o­n the weekends, and Tonfon used to be "johnny o­n the spot" with immediate reprisals with lower rates, massive advertising, etc. Someone must have been out of town because it took about two weeks for Tonfon to respond, and the first notice you find is a large sheet of paper announcing their new price as 65 seniti. Plastered on their door. Nothing near the flashness of their earlier advertising ,and not even in felt pen or somethign readible.

Most recently there has been an upswell of goodwill (?) with a number of Tongans and Tongan companies talking about sponsorship support for the World Cup Rugby to be broadcast live here in Tonga (Radio and Television.) Tonfon had/has been advertising wildly to sell packages for watching the World Cup o­n their pay tv system (requires purchase [$400] or lease [$125 a month] of set top box)

All these things (and you can add a lot of local island rumours) seem to add up to some financial problems with Tonfon.

* Hounding good customers to prepay their service when they already do is bad kama. Indicates serious problems with your communications system. Wait, ooops, they are a communications company. Now when a communications company don't communicate too well, what else is problematic?

* Early payment of bills was either wildly successful, or just isn't enough. Most logical would have been to split discounts further to stagger further upfront payments (e.g. 10% for within 5 days, 5% for the other early payment)

* Not responding to the price cuts at TCC undermines Tonfon's stance as the cheaper solution. Either Tonfon is making too much money o­n the mobile customers or they are struggling. A two week delay must mean a lot of soul searching and you don't do soul searching because you're happy with where you are.

* A hidden announcement by Tonfon o­n their website indicates that they have some sort of deal with some telephone card company in the US for distribution of their cards. Now that's good news, although ti would be better news if people could find out about it (how about scoundering through the web forums and announcing this thing.)

Any hooo, the question here is most good distributors can demand a 30% take o­n cards, and waht would a national distributor demand?Ooops, you've been selling the Tonfon cards for free ? How much bacon does Tonfon actually get to take home now ?

I've still got my Tonfon business phone, 2 x mobile phones, Internet connection, but things are slowing down. The mobile isn't working half the time now, the business phone is turned off permanently and we're looking for options for the Internet (anyone got a sat dish)


ciao,Sam T