Thin Band Anyone?
A bloggee writes:
So much for the 21st century. Yet another ISP has told me the local exchange is too slow to offer broadband, so that only leaves……BT, unless my neighbour-in-the-know tells me otherwise when he rings back.. They appear to be coining it throughout rural Britain. Grrrrrr. A friend who lives a couple of miles from the exchange went onto BT broadband and they stopped charging her for it because it was so slow. However, SBC planners are having more and more tacky little hoosies built round here without the telephone infrastructure to support it. We HAVE tried to tell them but…… What can one do without losing the plot altogether and contacting the ISP?
This is all in the context about encouraging everyone to get onto broadband which is apparently "99% available" But I wonder how many of the Borderers really want to use the Internet-Broadband or no-and we get 6mobs in Duns. Hutton enjoys about 1MB which is workable for most practical purposes except you might have trouble in downloading say, 'Priscilla, Queen of the Raving, Trans Gender Fairies*'- in your life time anyhow.
Some electrician working on a problem in the Small House in Duns remarked 'Wow-Good to see someone of your age going on line' I nearly changed the wretched fuse myself, after that crack (actually intended as a genuine compliment)-but the fact is that Silver Surfers are not a common breed in these 'ere parts except perhaps amongst the Gerdian Readers.
And they are not a common breed either
And it has to be said-re the bloggee's comments that most exchanges have been upgraded in recent years. When we first moved to Hutton the Chirnside Exchange was so primitive it did not allow you to use 1471 to check on the last caller. One Pensioner was however unfazed by this -'If I missed a call and it is important for the caller to talk to me-he will ring again' The same down to earth attitude as the lady from Ayton who was asked to identify her self in the Bank of Scotland Branch;
She pulled out her pocket her handbag mirror; looked into it and said:
'That's me alright'
(* Unlikely to be available in a cimema near you)
Labels: Broadband in the Borders, BT, Primitive echanges
