Wednesday, August 13, 2025
A first world problem that is partially my own fault, but I must also lay some blame to the Monopolistic Phone Company who took untold billions from the government for infrastructure upgrades, failed to do so while at the same time driving out other DSL providers
Nearly a year ago I received the first letter from my ISP about it ditching DSL service and replacing it with “wireless service.” To me, “wireless” is bad enough but to further state that it was easy to set up from a “phone app” was just XXXXXXX icing on the cake. What if I didn't have a “phone” to put such a “phone app” on? So I kept putting the letters into the round file.
Then a little over three months ago my router just spontaneously reset to it's factory settings and I couldn't get the DSL back up. I called the ISP and trying to get up and running again, I relented to get the “wireless service” only to realize after I hung up that I had use the wrong password. I was then back on DSL. Several days later the “wireless service device” showed up at our doorstep, but I knew that just be looking at it funny, the DSL would be immediately turned off and I would be forced to use it. So I put it into a corner of the office and pretended to forget about it.
Then in late July, Bunny received two texts from the ISP. The first one said that we best return the unit within 90 days of receiving it or face additional charges. Six hours later, the ISP sent a text saying they haven't received the unit, and we were facing additional charges.
And then today, we're offline.
The DSL has solid green lights. It's just that I can't get authenticated to get onto the Internet. I then saw the “wireless service unit” in the corner of the office and decided to bite the perverbial bullet. I installed the “phone app” on Bunny's phone (since I don't have a “phone” capable of running a “phone app”) and tried to activate the unit.
I could not get the “wireless service unit” activated.
It took about two hours on the phone, but the upshot is—my ISP, the Monopolistic Phone Company that took billions in “handouts” from the government to improve their infrastructure (you know, fiber everywhere? Except here in Boca Raton, and for large portions of the US in general) and also used their position to force third party DSL providers out of business, has finally decided to call it quits on DSL, and because I did not set up the “wireless service unit” within 90 days of receiving it, it was “cancelled.” So I have to return that unit, and get a new “wireless service unit” sent to me. Oh, and if I can't run the “phone app” I don't have to worry, all I have to do is call them up and have them configure things on my behalf.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX!
Until it arrives (anytime between Friday and Monday), we are without DSL here at Chez Boca.
I also dread installing the “wireless service unit” because it's probably been designed assuming everything I use here is wireless (it's not) and that it's going to control the routing (I already have a network set up XXXX you very much). I mean, it may be possible to keep my existing network up and running, but at this point, I'm too cynical to even keep my hopes up.
