Conflicting reports of VDSL availability

[Fritzinger]

Have had 3 phone conversations and gone into Telkom office. They always sound so assured yet they contradict each other and I can tell they are just using the VDSL coverage map which is itself unclear. My area is solid dark green for VDSL availability. otoh putting in my address I see

DSL Area Information
x Ftth rollout
x VDSL rollout

Does the "x VDSL rollout" here refer to literally just "rollout" as in the service is already there therefore there is no rollout OR does it mean no availability no rollout abandon all hope ye who live here? If so wtf is the area green!?

I have had one guy tell me that I can get it because my area is covered and there is no finer grained information available than the map. Then another tell me that I can only get 10Mb ADSL. A third completely misread the shade of green on the map (in the store in front of me) and told me that it indicates rollout and therefore the service is coming soon but not there yet. I had to tell him to zoom out until he could clearly see the areas which had a lighter shade of green.

All three had the existing line number, not just the address, how can there be this level of confusion?

 

[MickeyD]

'cos they are ignorant sales / clerical staff with very little clue as to the network and technology. They know about products and commission.

 

[Hemi300c]

BEE patient.

 

[Fritzinger]

BEE patient.

I hope that what you mean is that their training and information systems are bad due to poor management and not a comment on anyone's skin colour.

In any case, before my post turned into a rant I was genuinely asking: can anyone give me info about what the coverage map means when:

x VDSL rollout

Appears under solid green for VDSL coverage.

 

[MickeyD]

I hope that what you mean is that their training and information systems are bad due to poor management and not a comment on anyone's skin colour.

In any case, before my post turned into a rant I was genuinely asking: can anyone give me info about what the coverage map means when:

x VDSL rollout

Appears under solid green for VDSL coverage.

Go post in the crystal web thread and ask their rep to check your telephone number...

 

[km2]

'cos they are ignorant sales / clerical staff with very little clue as to the network and technology. They know about products and commission.

That seems kind of unfair to blame the frontline grunts when the maps themselves provide conflicting information between what Telkom maps show, what Openserve maps show, what the phone number lookup service shows, and what is actually available. Those sales and clerical staff are also victims of Telkom's incredibly ****ty and inconsistent systems rather than the source of the confusion.

 

[Sn00zE]

My address showed that VDSL is available, did the upgrade thing, 3 days later had to get a telkom tech out and was told the exchange does not even support VDSL or have not been upgraded. So yea, much conflict!

 

[Fritzinger]

After:

- the ADSL checker told me I could get nothing at my current number
- the coverage map said I could get 20 Mb VDSL
- checking the address said I could only get 10Mb ADSL
- the guy at the store wasn't sure
- three or four calls to support cut off after 5 minutes holding
- zero help from @helloTelkom (they asked to speak to the deceased former owner, I said I don't do seances)

I FINALLY spoke to someone on the phone who was able to name the exchange closest to me and tell me how many ports there were open (more than one, i.e. enough).

If this works out the lesson will be clear: do not trust the ADSL checker or anyone whose only source of information is the Telkom website.

Of course it would not surprise me if the one informed guy ends up being defeated by his own company, but I live in hope.

 

[Fritzinger]

VEE DEE ESS ELL!!!!! Here's my speedtest to a server in London: http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/4890078730

But hell it's been a process, even after all the above:

Telkom gave me "20" Mb ADSL at first, then called to tell me they'd delivered on my order. I told the guy they gave me an inferior product that is different to what I ordered, he says: "you can speak to sales about that, this call is just to inform you that we've delivered your ADSL order."

Then an hour on the phone where I had to convince a support person to send a technician to the exchange and literally made her write down "VDSL - PTM mode" on the instructions.

Then a call from Telkom to say "we'd like your feedback on resolving the support query", and of course I'm ready to give them a piece of my mind but the first question is: "when did the technician visit your premises?" I'm shouting that the problem has never been at my premises, GO TO THE @#$%ing EXCHANGE!! And they say, "oh if there was no technician at your premises we can't continue with the survey".

Then repeat that last conversation two more times. Yes, they called to ask me about my premises instead of the exchange THREE (3!) TIMES.

At this point I'm ready to give up on getting what I actually ordered. But today a guy calls me on my cellphone to tell me he's going to the exchange to give me VDSL. And he actually did!

The streets around me are being dug up with fibre - I doubt I'll bother. I can do 1080p video now, I don't have a screen that can do 4k so... what's the point?

 

[Cosmic_Nomad]

Loving it ! The streaming is 1st class on the 20 Mb VDSL.

TelkomZA /Charl is the man for getting it sorted with no hassle at all.

Think things will get even better when I get the correct modem/router.

Once Charl told me this "Networks have updated the distribution point and they higher speed can be ordered now " it was a breeze.

And the VDSL map was correct for once ! Go Telkom.............