Internet frustrations
Just when I thought I had a hold over my impatience, the wifi connection at home broke down. For months I’ve dealt with patchy internet connection—this, given the fact that my brother and I are subscribed to PLDT Fibr, arguably the fastest connection available. It isn’t news that internet is more expensive in the Philippines than in most of the world; the internet service in this country has much to improve on.
But for the past three days the connection had died. I called the PLDT customer service, but I only received platitudes, excuses, and an assurance that a report is being written, which will be forwarded to the technical service crew. A lineman arrived at home yesterday. His diagnosis was that the PLDT connection was fine; the problem is with the conduit connecting the modem and the TTC. The wire needed to be changed, he said, and it was left to me to contact an engineer who can replace the wires. In a few hours I was able to get hold of an engineer. This morning, the cat. 5 internet cable was replaced—successfully, I suppose, given that the telephone connection was also restored. But the internet connection remains broken, even during the time of writing.
I called up PLDT again and received the same excuses. I handed the phone to my brother, who was more calm but who remained firm. He even laughed at seeing me so irritated, angry, and unable to do anything else because of the paralyzing infuriation. “No, I will not hang up until you assure me that a technician will come over today,” I overhead him say, this after an hour of receiving otherwise useless instructions from Donna, the hapless customer service representative who probably had no idea what was going on but who was paid to read from a script, to keep people like us appeased. There comes a point when one loses patience at the waiting, and I reached this point today. It makes me feel frustrated about feeling frustrated.
But there is a lesson in this somewhere. Patience, humility, losing my sense of self-entitlement. I am a work in progress.
I spent the Saturday afternoon reading Nick Joaquin’s The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic, published by Penguin. I even worked on a story.
I still wish we had better internet service providers. There’s much to be desired about PLDT Fiber, and if only I had a choice, I would pick another.
Do you have other recommendations?
But for the past three days the connection had died. I called the PLDT customer service, but I only received platitudes, excuses, and an assurance that a report is being written, which will be forwarded to the technical service crew. A lineman arrived at home yesterday. His diagnosis was that the PLDT connection was fine; the problem is with the conduit connecting the modem and the TTC. The wire needed to be changed, he said, and it was left to me to contact an engineer who can replace the wires. In a few hours I was able to get hold of an engineer. This morning, the cat. 5 internet cable was replaced—successfully, I suppose, given that the telephone connection was also restored. But the internet connection remains broken, even during the time of writing.
I called up PLDT again and received the same excuses. I handed the phone to my brother, who was more calm but who remained firm. He even laughed at seeing me so irritated, angry, and unable to do anything else because of the paralyzing infuriation. “No, I will not hang up until you assure me that a technician will come over today,” I overhead him say, this after an hour of receiving otherwise useless instructions from Donna, the hapless customer service representative who probably had no idea what was going on but who was paid to read from a script, to keep people like us appeased. There comes a point when one loses patience at the waiting, and I reached this point today. It makes me feel frustrated about feeling frustrated.
But there is a lesson in this somewhere. Patience, humility, losing my sense of self-entitlement. I am a work in progress.
I spent the Saturday afternoon reading Nick Joaquin’s The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic, published by Penguin. I even worked on a story.
I still wish we had better internet service providers. There’s much to be desired about PLDT Fiber, and if only I had a choice, I would pick another.
Do you have other recommendations?
Labels: daily
posted on December 01, 2018
1 Comments:
I wish I did! We can't even get Fibr in UP BLISS. Limping along with our sad old Bayantel-now-Globe connection.
Post a Comment
<< Home