🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <A6w2pKAkejbxEwWj@ch-w.demon.co.uk>, John Chapple <jc@ch-
w.demon.co.uk> writes
>Sorry, I should know better, having listened to this group for so long,
>but can anyone tell whether local exchange is digital, 174 & 175 work, 
>(not 152!) whether local exchange is digital?
>It needs to be doesn't it for basic rate ISDN?
>John Chapple                                         JC@ch-w.demon.co.uk
> 'There are too many BRIGHT lights going out'   Phone (+44) 01233 712868
>                         Dave Powers            Fax   (+44) 01233 713698

Its not quite as simple as that. Try asking the operator, they say if
its digital, but ISDN is a bit more subtle - it requires extra
equipment, which, if its not already in situ, has to be installed.

As I live in a small village in the middle of nowhere (Kent), and as I
was the first in the area to want ISDN, it was a *major* pain in the
scrotum to get BT to actually install the kit and give me the line. The
interesting thing about ISDN is that its treated as a BUSINESS service,
and thus it appears that they have to offer it anywhere in the country,
even if they don't want to (something to do with their charter).

I my case they lost the order twice, claimed all sorts of reasons for
delay, and then quoted 90 WORKING DAYS for the installation.

After making a formal complaint to a Director of BT, miraculously
something happened. For two weeks BT engineers were digging up the roads
near us and pulling new cables. When yours truely shuffled out of his
outbuilding and asked the foreman what was going on, the reply was that
some stupid sod had ordered ISDN and due to the decrepid nature of the
cables in the roads and the trunk back to the area exchange, they had to
re-lay the lot. He conservatively estimated the cost as 50,000 quid. At
this point I muttered agreement and shuffled away, before he asked why I
wanted to know...

I spent 300 quid on the order (the January "special" price).

Did I get my money's worth?

;-)
-- 
Nick de Smith