Cry with me please and give me some advice (please again)

[Boerewors]

I live in a very remote area of KZN, despite having the exchange physically next to my house (lucky me), it is not yet ADSL enabled with no plans from Telskelm to do so in the near future (repeated monthly phone calls to them to confirm that).

I also have really bad cell phone coverage, the only tower closeby is Vodacom and their coverage map seems out of date and does not feature the 3G spots close to me. My reception fluctuates by the minute from 0-3 bars and GPRS internet becomes a 2000-3000 ping affair. No idea who to phone.

I currently use Telskelm ISDN with inifinit call. My wife and I run our repective businesses on it, on average about 300 hours a month on the internet, lots of work during the weekends. Our phone bill is R1400-R1600 a month, friggin ridiciculous!

I am trying to find a more cost effective solution. Is there any? All of the Telskelm plans are nowhere near to what we need and none of them stack with infinitcall, which means that my wife and I have to work at night and not in the day like normal sane people.

What can I do? Any advice?

PS: why does Telskelm keep phoning me tgo offer me call plans when they KNOW that whatever they are offering does not stack with inifinitcall?

PPS: why do they keep calling me to tell me about ADSL when we cannot get it? Does the Telskelm customer database not tell their operators that the person they are phoning to sell a product to will not work for them?

 

[Syndyre]

Seems like your only option is the cell networks. Try and get a Yagi set up so you can at least get better reception, even if it is only GPRS. Check MTN as well, they might have EDGE coverage there.

 

[DragonLogos]

You might want to try and ask Telkom to put in a Analogue leased line, this is a permanent connection at a fixed rate per month (much like ADSL) it is only 36K however, but seeing as you are on 24/7 who cares

You might get a bit of resistance from Telkom, what they do not normally do they somehow seem to think does not exist, also they are making a small fortune from you, so why bother, as I always say " Incompetence has it's own reward " - You can mess up someone's computer, bill them for the time spent and then sell them something new

OK... so once you have got them to look into this, which might mean that they would have to phone someone who knows something about it, which if you have ever called Telkom, you quickly find out what a bunch of buck passers they are

So if they do come back to you and say, no we do not do that, let me know and I will do a check on their tariff lists and find what the code / reference is

Next they will tell you that you have to have a modem on each end, this is were you have to talk nicely... I have seen and heard some wild stories about this, but the one site that I know off, the user was able to supply and use two normal Duxbury external modems, which you can pick up for about 200 - 300 a piece new, maybe less s/h

Then you need to shop around for an ISP that will give you an Internet connection for the leased line, it would be a good idea to tell them how much data you put through a month at the moment, as they might be worried you will try and eat them out of house and home albeit slowly - bit by bit.... byte by byte

 

[Carol]

if you live in the remote area that I do we could always share a satellite thingie somehow????????

or else we need to contact all the other people in this area and fight for ADSL.

what area are you ??? we are between stanger and greytown .. kearsney area.

 

[Boerewors]

I live between PMB and Greytown, a little place called Harburg. I hear snifflings of ADSL coming to Greytown this year, might get to me .... someday

 

[kilo39]

Telkom will install ADSL on an exchange if you give them a petition (and have a local friendly telco shop.) Get 30 to 50 people to sign they will take adsl if it was available and telkom will likely implement.

 

[caramel]

Telskelm... that is so funny boerewors!!!! i feel your pain!!!!

 

[Boerewors]

Thanks for all the Info!

 

[Vapaie]

Possible wireless internet solution in a remote area ?!

Hi, everybody.
Sorry to raise this old topic again. I just hope somebody might have found a possible wireless internet solution in a remote area with zero cell signal for approx. 1 Km radius of my house on a subdivided farm (small Share-block co.) about 50 Km NW on R544 from Witbank.
Satellite is way too expensive.
Maybe you can offer some advice or recommend somebody (i.e. an smart ISP in the area) prepared to check the coverage in see what will it take to get it done.

 

[LazyLion]

Move closer to the city.

 

[genetic]

Hi, everybody.
Sorry to raise this old topic again. I just hope somebody might have found a possible wireless internet solution in a remote area with zero cell signal for approx. 1 Km radius of my house on a subdivided farm (small Share-block co.) about 50 Km NW on R544 from Witbank.
Satellite is way too expensive.
Maybe you can offer some advice or recommend somebody (i.e. an smart ISP in the area) prepared to check the coverage in see what will it take to get it done.

Where is this remote area exactly?

 

[Dairyfarmer]

Do a request on waspa.org.za

 

[Vapaie]

Do a request on waspa.org.za

Thanks, Dairyfarmer. I'll give it a try...