Like in many other countries, and I’m not talking about the third world, in Denmark there was a monopolist managing the wiring and communications, some sort of nordic Telekom. It’s teleKom because for the danes, you know, “C”s are for sissies.

However, changing names simply doesn’t do the trick; using more sophisticated, english-sounding, youth-friendly names helps only to get the picture of a decrepit face with a cheap lift job. But they tried, of course, so the old Telekom-whatever ISP is called YouSee, and if you want to have an internet connection, there’s just no escape.

Knowing what happens under this point of view in my homeland, I made a point in keeping quiet and not complaining, but lately things just went from bad to worst. My background made me way tolerant; despite that, they got me pissed, so I don’t really want to know how danish people feel, used to higher standards but forced to bear this kind of service whatsoever.
You see, YouSee is the typical ex-monopolist service and it feels like the counterpart are still users -as they were used to be- and not yet customers; a monopolist, given the users’ lack of options, just doesn’t give a rat’s ass. Supply and Demand, it’s that simple.
Frequent interruptions of service is the least that can happen; also high latency spikes, that is a no-go for some kinds of TCP connections that need a steady ground.

So, when it happens, you call. Get in queue, wait, grow bored, and once they answer the problem’s gone, and the Miss happily tweets “Sorry sir, my terminal says everything’s fine, have the best day ever, goodbye” CLICK. Sometimes it happens that the Miss’ name is Erik, a descendant of a proud Viking dinasty; he tweets also, but doesn’t sound as good.
Too bad terminals don’t have a memory of what happened before. Better, I’m sure they have, just why taking the trouble to go check the recent history; it’s you, the user, a mythomaniac sicko seeing things that nobody else can, and of course a complete idiot around IT and computer sciences, that might have called just because a website took 2 seconds longer to load. So, why bother?
In order to be completely honest, though, it happened once that they answered while the problem was still standing; therefore the tweeting thing “certified it” -in a way-; put things in motion and ordered the efficient techmongers army to deploy. Days later (yes, days; I said “efficient”, not “fast”) a very kind and professional technician knocks the door, extracts his fine machineries then checks plugs, cables, line to the central node, environmental interferences, checks also the water, gas and poop pipes just to be sure, ends up like “everything’s fine”; he then gathers that it has to be the modem and changes it for free (well, it’s theirs). Problem Solved, officially.
In the real world instead, the situation hasn’t changed an inch.

So, sadly, this is the state of the art; the monopoly ceased, however the effects didn’t desist. As far as I know, the last mile, that few hundred yards of copper, is a thing that other companies -living in the third millennium free market- crave to get the rights to use, or buy. Unfortunately, as it comes, they will be really free to get them with no questions asked, only prying them from Telekom’s stiff dead fingers. And it ain’t gonna be soon.

Nevertheless, there are some happy areas where you can access services from other ISPs; those so lucky to benefit from it are usually very satisfied, and they say it out loud.
I hope we are gonna be happy as well soon. In fact, we are moving, and it looks like the new house is right inside one of the happy spots. I really can’t wait.

And now I’m gonna post this.. if I’m still online :)

Farewell time:

— YouSee, See You! —

..much, much later!

FreeANT

Tech Addendum
if somebody from YouSee reads this, I want to say a big thumbs up for changing the person or team responsible for the configuration of the DHCP servers. About time, after 3 years it looks like they work now.

Good Job,
Good Job.