'What about Internet Limbo…how low can you go?' Technology

What about Internet Limbo…how low can you go?

Lee from Pocitos (Contact Member) -

In his Blog, David asks these compelling questions... and make sure to click over to his blog to find out his answer... or read below for mine.

Internet Limbo…how low can you go?

It is not often I manage to work two cheesy expressions into the title of one blog post, but today you are lucky. (Please note I didn’t say what kind of luck).

Imagine this situation:

1. you have moved to Uruguay, lock, stock and pets.

2. you have been living in a hotel with wireless broadband internet access (more or less) from which you have been managing your business or doing your job somewhere north of the equator.

3. you have found the perfect apartment or house.

4. you move out of the hotel and into the house because you are going stir crazy and the hotel is threatening to charge extra for the path you have worn into the floor of your room.

5. you have already ordered telephone service so it will be installed the very first day you are in your new place.

6. you move in, Antel installs the phone as promised, AND YOU REALIZE YOU HAVE NO INTERNET SERVICE.

7. you call Antel and find out it will take a week to install your ADSL line.

8. you also find out that you could not have ordered the ADSL earlier because you can’t order it until you have a phone line installed.

• Internet Limbo

Reply #1 Lee from Pocitos (Contact Member) -

My answer would be to check out dedicado. They also take about a week for installation, however don't use the phone at all so you don't need a phone ordered, installed, or working to use their service.

I think you'll also find that if you rent an apartment or house that already has a phone, you'll be able to get a DSL contract in your name on that line. I am not 100% sure, but I called both Dedicado and Montevideo.com (reseller of Antel) and ended up chosing Dedicado because they responded faster. However, for the DSL there didn't seem to be a problem with the phone NOT being in my name when I started to place the order.

Now I have both Dedicado and Antel DSL and find that both perform well.

• Dedicado

Reply #2 The Southron -- David Finzer (201.217.143.28) -

I have heard a lot of good things about Dedicado--but I also have a fairly thick file of negative comments. I think that Dedicado is good or bad depending upon the exact location where you use it. If you have good line-of-site to their broadcast tower you will proabaly love them. If not, you might feel otherwise.

But I also have an ethical issue with Dedicado. Their advertising says repeatedly that they "guarantee" their bandwidth, BUT when you get to the actual contract it says just the opposite--we were ready to sign a commerical account agreement with them, but stopped when the refused to promise in writing what they promise before they get your money. We wrangled for weeks and they never budged from the ethically challenged position.

If a person means what he says, he will put it in wriitng, if he doesn't, he won't. Period. Sorry Dedicado; when you decide to clean up your act I will re-assess your service...

Reply #3 Lee from Pocitos (Contact Member) -

Are those with line of sight to tower issues in Montevideo proper or outside in more rural areas?

I can see how they can guarantee bandwidth from your house to their office. But nobody can guarantee bandwidth to the "internet". One problem you have is bandwidth to "where"?

One the connection is relayed outside their network, they of course have no control and couldn't possible offer any guarantee.

I find with dedicado I usually get faster upload and slower download than the speed I "pay for". That is with uploads and downloads to various sites in the USA.

In the time I've had both Dedicado and antel dsl they have both had brief outages. I have not had to call Antel yet. Whenever I've called Dedicado they always respond, and resolve the issue promply.

I use two major carriers for T1 circuits in the US and regularly have them claim the service is working when it clearly isn't. It usually takes hours of arguing with them before they acknowledge there is an issue and then resolve it.

Here the attitude has been refreshing.

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