So the nice lady told me that yes, there was a self install available, and there was a rebate to cover the cost of the new equipment, and there would be only minutes of downtime as the self install kit would arrive to me by May 9th, and the service change would happen on the 11th, and it would only take me a couple of minutes to switch epuipment, thus, no extended downtime. My final question to her was about a rumor I had heard that AT&T would be putting a cap on DSL usage, so I asked her if there was any truth to that rumor, and would there be a cap on my new U-verse service, and was told that she had heard nothing about a cap, so, no, there would be no cap. Please see the last statement on this letter sent from AT&T. More on that later.
Well, on the weedend of the 7th & 8th, my wife started getting messages about the install people would be arriving on the 9th. Now how or why they were calling her number, I have no idea, but she told me about the messages, and I assumed they were talking about droping off the self install kit. You know what the say about assuming.
On the afternoon of the 9th, 2 AT&T guys show up, saying that they are here to connect my new dsl service, and they would have me up an going shortly. Well, that made me ask them a couple of questions like, “I thought I was getting U-verse internet”, I already have dsl”, and “I thougt I was getting a self install kit?”. They went on to explain, that the new service was a new modified type of dsl that would be allow faster speeds, and it would be handled by the U-verse department, even though it was not really U-verse. Then they told me they would simply check the line to verify signal, and set up my new modem for me, and I would be on the new service shortly. During some casual talk during this process, they admitted they were new to this type of installation, and had had almost no traing on the new service, or how to connect it. After an extended period of time which included phone calls to U-verse support, as well as another technician, and a visit by that technician (one of the first 2 had already left), the remaining technician told me the new service had not been activated on my line yet, but here is the modem, and when it is activated on the 11th, just switch modems, and I should be good to go. Good Luck. This was after about and hour and a half of down time.
More next time in Part 3 – Stormy weather.
PrintingonPaper 