WOW! Fast Broadband!

Late last night I received a text saying that I had used 70% of my allocation of my 1Gb of cell broadband this billing period.  Oh dear.  So I went onto the NZ Telecom website to see what I could do about it and how much I was going to be billed for the excess.  I discovered that my plan no longer existed.   No surprise there then.  But on the new plan for the same amount I could get 2Gb a month fora similar price.

But (there always has to be a but) the old 2G network I am on wouldn't deliver (and is soon to be closed down) so I had to have a new USB stick for the 3G network.  But the speed of delivery would increase if I went for the top end of the range stick.  

A phone call to Telecom confirmed that I had had my contract long enough to upgrade.  Great.  But I could get the necessary USB device from the local Telecom store immediately if I popped into town instead of waiting for it to come through the post.  The thought ocurred to me that I shoul just do it on the phone there and then but no, I decided to go to the store.

Big mistake (Love that film!  Love that line).  I won't give you the details (see last posting) but suffice to say it ended up costing me megabucks and a great deal of hassle.  The sales assistant was absolutely charming I have to say.  She was a model of helpfulness drowning in a sea of the incompetence of those around her.  Eventually she phoned the person who had said I could have it and, guess what, I am entitled and I do now have it! Albeit at a price.

However when I eventually got home after a wonderful afternoon's croquet there was a long and incomprehensible message from her on the answering machine.  And the USB stick didn't work.  After 40 minutes on the phone this eveening to Telecom it now works.

And gess what?  Instead of the 7Kb/sec I got on the old network I get 3 times that and it seems instant by comparison. Hopefully I can now look at the photography blogs again.  I've been missing them because they just took too long to download.

I suppose I shall have to ring and find out what Erin wanted to tell me about the contract.  But, hey, I'm away tomorrow until Sunday night and I may have forgotten by then.