Sadly I have to announce that the continued failure of the telecommunications industry to provide a service in my area, combined with the results of the fragmentary ad hoc approach I have been forced to employ has resulted in my just today, discovering that it is not one assignment and test due on Friday, but three. with a fourth due today.
As a consequence (and with Census date falling this Sunday) I have been forced to withdraw from the course pending the delivery of a more useful service. I will be drafting letters to the University (delivering a course accessible to rural and regional Tasmanians), Telstra - the incompetence and lack of social conscience of their staff and my unwillingness to pay other than a pro-rata rate to match the delivery of their service; the Telecommunications Ombudsman (the generally poor state of Telecommunications in the area and the exceptionally poor response from Telstra); my local member (the blind incompetence of this government that has cancelled the NBN rollout in my area), and if necessary the media to name and shame all of the above. (well not the University as I do hope to re-enroll if the mess can be sorted out at some viable level).
For those of you wondering how I can regularly post here given the difficulties, it is simply that I am so inured to the need to try and try and try again to do so when the signal fails, and to the need to close down the laptop with my words preserved until later when a signal might be available. Fine for social intercourse, but patently inadequate for time-critical matters.
Tonight I plan to open a beer or two, read a good book and go to bed early.
Have you thought about having a home phone and a fixed broadband account? I pay $70.90 a month for 50gb of internet plus line rental. I do not use my home phone except for the convenience of having internet because unfortunately naked ADSL is unavailable in Tasmania. If you go here: http://bc.whirlpool.net.au/bc/isp-1292-3/logitel-adsl2-via-telstra.htm
ReplyDeleteyou can see what Logitel offers as they are available for Oatlands. I personally use Yatango for my mobile which is $12 for 100 text and 100 minutes of calls (i don't use data on my mobile but is available if you want it for extra dollars), but its on the Optus network, so probably not suitable for your area but Boost offers $40 monthly for 3gb data on mobile as well as included calls and texts. They are on the Telstra network which has the better coverage. Boost is prepaid and so there is no contract. Just trying to be of help. If not interested just disregard this message. I hve done my research on Whirlpool and found these to be the best deals.
Thanks for the suggestions Deb, but ADSL is not available here. Not even if I had a home phone. The nearest exchange is 7 km away and houses between here and there can not get it, so it has been recommended I not go to the expense of having a phone installed only to discover what we already know. Particularly as my own house has never had a phone in it according to their records (though I know there was one here in the 1920s). So not a goer I am afraid. And Telstra-based coverage will be the same as Telstra coverage, so not an improvement. I will keep on fighting this ridiculous situation but in the mean time, with Census date on Sunday, withdrawal is the only option.
ReplyDeleteGood luck keeping up the communications fight!
ReplyDelete