Internet Malfunctions and Other Rural Issues

wbt.affiliates

I fully intended to get on the computer early yesterday and crank out a couple of articles. The internet was down. As I've said before, we live in a mountain valley in western Colorado. Several things will interfere with me getting online. Wind will knock out our system.

Wind, a recent forest fire, and a host of other issues will also knock out our electricity from time to time. We keep water on hand for drinking, cooking and bathing (washing up or sponge bathing). That's how we live. When we first moved to this community, it was October. Several neighbors told us where to get wood. Someone had moved and left their wood for those who needed it. Totally ignorant of the necessity of wood for our fireplace, we nodded our appreciation, but took none of them seriously. Now we do.

So, just so you know, if I'm not online, there's always a valid reason. I do love to interact with this forum.

greyfurball

@wbt.affiliates I can empathize with you.

I also live in a rural area and wind, cloudy weather, rain/snow/sleet or hail, plus occasionally they come up with another excuse all mean my system is down. The one time we asked what was the problem and any idea when we would be back on... my answer from them was" lack of sunshine".

I signed up to work for the US Census Bureau this Summer and was offline more than on during my training days. They kept calling me and asking what was wrong. Then every time we would start a new course schedule, I could never get into the training modules. It took tech support every time to figure out a way to make it happen for me.

A few weeks ago I left the job. It was kindly mentioned "wouldn't I like to work somewhere else?

So much for technology!

wbt.affiliates

LOL. I REALLY understand you.

merlin44

I can totally relate. I just chalk it up to the price paid for living in paradise. I've learn to stay prepared for possibilities and enjoy the fact that I'm not totally dependent on the luxuries of this century.

EarlKelly

Can totally relate to this. Very rural area I live in. Only one source for internet unless I go satellite. No cable out my way either. You never know what their excuse is going to be. Just have to deal with it. Very frustrating when you really need to be online. Maybe one day things will get better. Not counting on it though. Nice to know others have some of the same issues.

Melissa Swartz

I think that there is a lot of attention on the "digital divide" in urban areas, where inner city kids don't have access to the same levels of internet as suburban kids. And yet that issue is so much easier to fix than it is in rural areas. But there's no focus on solving the issues in rural areas. Even though there is a Universal Service Fund fee that is assessed on almost every phone bill, which aggregates up to millions of dollars, the money doesn't ever seem to actually make it to the areas that it was intended to help. It really is a significant issue.

wbt.affiliates

We finally complained enough that they now deduct money from our bill, depending on how long their system doesn't work. The internet was out for eight hours yesterday. Very inconvenient, especially for someone who runs a business from home. But the internet bill will be nice.