Failed State (Patreon)

It is now Day 9 without broadband, and it will be at least 2 more days before it will be restored. My spirits are a little low 😔 

Engineers from the appalling, Soviet-like company Openreach arrived on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday. At one point there were 3 vans and perhaps 8 men.

Each time, they blocked the roads with barriers and temporary traffic lights; and began digging an ever larger, entirely superfluous, hole.

Each time, they then announced some crucial piece of equipment, or some vital engineer, had not turned up, and that the box could not be reconnected. They then filled in their hole, carefully packed up their tools and barriers, and left. Having achieved nothing.

They will not be coming back this weekend, as they 'don't work weekends'. Even though they have a legal monopoly and responsibility for all broadband infrastructure in the UK. The last time I called, the call centre claimed to have no knowledge of the issue at all.

This is astounding. I had no idea this could happen - short of natural disaster or war. This is supposed to be a developed country, and is where significant amounts of mass communications technology was invented. Yet monopoly, incompetence and laziness mean a single broadband substation cannot be rewired within 11 days, leaving 2000 people disconnected from the modern world. I have never hated a company, or its useless employees, more.

Before I get too moany, however, I shall sign off.

🖖 Ranlilabz