The Joys of DSL

Yippee! About damn time Karachi introduced DSL eh? So much for dialup - ah hell, so much for cable...or at least, that's what my reaction was precisely a year from today. So, uh, why am I seriously contemplating reverting to dialup? Ah I know - because I'm contractually bound to an organization that calls itself "Pakistan's leading Internet, and data communications company."

When I received a call from one their reps that they were offering a 256k package (unlimited downloading) for PKR2,500 (USD41.25) I jumped with joy - didn't ask any questions, just said "dangit - why haven't you hooked me up yet?" Ah - the old wives tale along the lines of never rushing into something is so apt, a lesson so well learnt, that reckon I'll just revert to my old self of sitting back and doing things as and when time demands.

As retarded as it sounds, yes - I did not complain about the USD41.25 package - why? Because when they had initially started the same, the masses found themselves being offered a 256k deal, capped at 2GB, for round about 60$! Reckon it would suffice for joke of the millennium eh? O wait - did I mention that our monopolistic telephone service provider won't allow these DSL providers access to the fiber optic network that they've laid down? LOL - or is it? Reckon we're the only country in the world that's "enjoying" DSL on copper, so fragile that a lizard attempting to crawl along the cable would find itself on the ground along with the cable, petrified that an oncoming truck is about to run it over. Sagging so ridiculously, that if its not touching the ground, any crow interested in trying a trampoline simply has to visit Karachi.

But alas, if the DSL union isn't going to do anything about it, then who is? Ah right - I forgot - no one. Surely we all agree that its a monopoly, but that's another topic for another day. My joy over the last 72 hours - my download rate fluctuates between 213, and 2! I called up tech support, only to be told "everythings hunky-dory at our end - its your computer thats screwed up." "Yes sir - I've tried 6 systems, and each one of them is distorted eh?" Spoke to them decently, launched a verbal barrage which reckon my Comm teachers would be rather proud of, but ah here's what their incharge had to say "why are you aiming your volleys my way - its not my fault." "No sir - given that you are leading the efforts to screw your clientel, how can it be your fault. Surely those under you are to blame, who aren't serving you your cup of tea on time."

Will this ever be fixed - I doubt it - will we ever come down to affordable rates? LOL. Will Karachiites ever get to experience what DSL actually is? ROFL. Will we ever see any organization seek to provide a T1 framework to the domestic consumer? ROFLMAO

So whats your take on this? And please don't tell me to switch to Max - might be better, but surely not what we expected when we laid out the red carpet for these service providers in the Pakistani market.