captaincrazy writes...

Many long years with Exetel got me to thinking that downloads just take a long time,

i was one of the pioneer customers. i really appreciated the discount. i looooved that discount actually and the cheap prices and the VOIP when it came. i put up with a lot because the service was cheap and i needed cheap.

but... like you, it was only when i moved very far from the exchange and _had _ to change providers...... that i realized the stupidity of what i had allowed myself to put up with for so long for that price.

how i do not have to worry about why i cant see the news videos on the news online, i dont have buffering on youtube, Vimeo works, movies download, my speeds are greater than a crawl most of the day. i do not have to spend hours messing with my modem to see if another drop of data can be persuaded to squeeze out each hour.

it really was mad when i look back on it. i was obviously having my speed controlled as i was only a km from the exchange as the crow flies and not much more by copper route . other providers had better speeds for the same street.

i was on a telstra line. service should have been so much better but was not even after i persisted and eventually got a pit fault over the road fixed.

i liked what Linton was trying to do. i realise now that as appealing a character as he was in his own way......there was a lot of bull attached to so much. the attitude when i complained to TIO was simply to drop me.

that was reversed and i stayed.

i should have realized on day one when i attempted to connect as they literally set up the company.......that the rudeness and aggression i encountered where an omen.

still there were some _great_ staff there in the early days and they were hugely helpful. i learned a lot.

the old days of feeling that u were with someone trying to do something good in the industry had well worn off. i admired much and resented quite a bit.

things were changing for the worse as i left over 3 years ago.

now i have truly amazing speeds on cable at a huge distance from the exchange.

i never see the modem upstairs now.... let alone have to worry about what the stats and info are so i can tweek them. the whole thing just works at amazing speed. if it does not .....a phone call to an irritating call centre is all that is needed. at least the call centre is clued in, in that horrible scripted way, in a much more efficient way than exetels call centre ever was for me.

the price is higher, but not by that much now.

i was sad to leave but i cant say how happy i am now that i was forced to do so and to see what good service can be. even when that good service comes from the company we all love to hate !!

vale the concept of the old exetel