The internet situation here at the new house is dire. We’ve discovered that it may be a very long time before we get ADSL because while the technology is available in our area (whatever in the hell that means) they don’t have gates for it (so much for the OTE campaign “ADSL for everyone!”). I could live with dialup (we couldn’t even get ISDN on Kos when we lived there for a year) if we could get connection speeds over 24kbps. Well, sometimes we can get up to 48kbps if we are lucky and have the patience to redial ten million times. Now, generally speaking I can live without the internet, except it is my primary source of communication with friends and family back home and in various places around the world, and it is my main resource for news. Not to mention I can’t really catch up on my favorite blogs because my patience wears out after just a few minutes online.
To make things even worse we paid for six months of ADSL we aren’t even getting when we renewed our account. So basically, OTE better install the damn gates and anything else they need to do to get me ADSL as soon as possible before I go completely insane. This isn’t the frakkin’ third world here people. And last I heard, some third world countries are getting ADSL, so this is simply pathetic.
Yes, this seems like a silly thing to bitch about in a world filled with real problems, but I just had to get it off my chest. I do feel a little better now. Now get me my ADSL!
8 comments:
Hey Mel,
We've just been through it!- The f**king gate situation. It took us over a month, as you know since I hadn't been online. My husband called them every other day, then everyday until FINALLY they figured out when we'd have a gate up and running in our area. We were so starved for access( plus my husband needs it for work!)- that we couldn't wait for our modem to be delivered via regular mail after they connected our digital phone line---so starved that we went to OTE last Monday to pick it up...so as to be certain that we'd get it. (Since the city gave us a mailbox with a number that didn't correspond with the one that the post office was putting our mail in) It's so frustrating, but now it's all worth the wait! I don't take anything for granted. Good luck chica!
No, dear Mel, this *is* third world, and you are in deep trouble. For at least a month, possibly longer, possibly even A LOT longer, forget your internet access, forget your friends, forget your news, forget the world. You are trapped in OTEland and there is no way out and you can only rage impotently against your persecutors.
(Personally, I would have verified internet connectivity beyond any doubt before moving anywhere.)
My sincere condolences.
Look at the positive side of it: you will have plenty of time to spend in the beautiful Greek outdoors, now that the weather...
ahem, never mind.
ΟΤΕ; ΠΟΤΕ!! In any other European country an organisation like OTE would have disappeared decades ago. Not in Greece, though. It is a constant source of amusement (and annoyance) to me that the Greeks don't seem to be able to get anything right...
We have a connection at OTE and were assured our access would be up in a few days. In fact, it was because we had a signal, etc. BUT the damn "gate" wasn't opened, so we waited 10 days. I'm not complaining or bragging btw, I think we're really lucky.
Just because there is access and someone guarantees you connectivity, it doesn't mean there's follow-through.
Bryan is right - OTE should have disappeared decades ago, but this is not really an EU country (as Diagoras says) so instead we treat it like a bad running joke.
I'll ask our connection in Athens if she knows someone up north we can refer you to. Hang in there, Mel.
Cheryl - Thanks so much for the tip. I talked to my husband and he is taking the wait and see approach for now - since apparently our provider (which isn't OTE) might be contributing to the stall. If worse comes to worse, we'll try what you suggested, but even then we might have to wait because our ISP might want a phone bill before they'll make the request - which is going to be who knows when.
Diagoras - well, we had checked before we moved, but this house has been being built for 20 years by my husband's family so we couldn't really plan it around ADSL access. ;) I can live without internet or slow internet for awhile, it is just all the jerking around that is being done between OTE and our ISP that is getting to me.
Bryan - Yes, OTE is pathetic, and it is a sad state of affairs here.
Kat - You were lucky. We supposedly have a signal but no gate. I don't know if they will open a gate for us or not or how that works, so if your connection in Athens has any advice, I'd appreciate it.
I am so sympathetic. I remember the days before the internet (and before my Greek was up to local news). In those days the odd BBC or Voice of America broadcast picked up on a shortwave radio was the best we could do for news. The internet makes everything so much better, and to lose connectivity after you've become used to it is a particular challenge. Before we got OTE to cough up a phone line for us, I became very very good friends with the owner and staff of the local internet cafe.
I hope your access gets connected very very soon.
I do not remember who said it:
There are three kinds of death.
There is death of the mind,
there is death of the heart,
and there is being off the Net.
I just wanted you to know that I did ask our contact, and she called the office nearest your town, but apparently that office said it's not completely dependent on them, since the ISP has to acknowledge the request, then they open "the gate." And opening the gate also depends on when the technician decides he wants to stop in.
I saw your update about the ISP, so hopefully something is coming down the pipes after the bill is produced.
Sorry I couldn't help more, but at least the process has been somewhat demystified...but heck, this is GR, it could be something else. :)
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