Thanks for the update

Fusion total disappointment

Thanks for the update. To get to this page, I had to try and re load Sasktel’s page three times. It just hangs so bad. My Fusion wasn’t like that 6 months ago, but getting worse everyday. A couple local business dropped Fusion all together and gets their internet from RFNow cause Sasktel couldn’t provide them with reliable speed and service. They pay a lot more, but they need the speed, service and reliability, and from what I heard they are getting it now.

This occurred sitting at the bar of the Hotel Sask in May. oh the irony. You’ll note that it’s on the LTE network, not 3G. Did you all know that Sasktel 4G is BIGGEST, FASTEST, STRONGEST??? That’s what the ad’s say. I suppose, in all fairness, it doesn’t say anything about MOST RELIABLE.

Dear Sasktel Rep you’d better not try and say “well sir, the hotel Sask is an old stone building. Perfect service cannot be expected”. BS!!! I could talk on my cel phone at 9000’ASL at Sunshine Village when I lived in the mountains, and cell coverage in Bankers Hall or the Palliser Hotel (just as stoney), was just fine on the Telus system. That was in 2007. This is downtown Regina in 2016 where our commerce goes on, where visitors come to see our beautiful city Although, this isn’t much different than the ongoing garbage security experiences at YQR. par for the course I suppose.

Some updates, I’ll be as concise as possible.

After the sept 9th visit, I completely disconnected my entire home network, and sat there mindlessly watching ping tests whiz past. I was able to capture multiple packet drops, and latency’s that were way out of the acceptable range. I tried to let the ST rep know this, but they wouldn’t get me in touch with him. Fortunately the PC Place guys were kind enough to share there cel numbers with me, so I was able to get through to them and find out what is normal, and what isn’t. The findings were, without question, ABnormal.

So, now Sasktel, and everyone else who’s been doubting me and telling me I’m wrong for 8 weeks, is forced to listen. Robin, the Sasktel Customer service manager, tune then changed 180degrees. It went from “we’re going to help you”, “you’re being heard”, “we take responsibility for this” to “well, we are going to change out the defective equipment even though we don’t have to but if this happens again, we won’t be helping”. WOW!!!! That’s sure is a switch!!!

This conversation was also the one where we were to address the issues with the owner of Chittronics’ insulting string of text messages sent my way after I dared question the 160$ bill that was sent to us after absolutely nothing was accomplished or made better. The conversation was quite simple “Jeremy, I will not share with you any discipline or coaching that occurs with our employees http://www.cheapjerseys11.com/ or out dealer network”. Now that’s accountability!!!! The guy who benefits greatly from our tax dollars in the Montmartre area is immune to anyone knowing the results of his hot headedness. Makes sense. what!!??? Are you kidding?? So now your proven as wrong after 8 weeks of blaming me, and you wanna turn tail and run??? Wow, again. My answer was “no”.

So, the helpful guys from PC Place came out on the 16th and started the swap over. He couldn’t quite get everything done that day due to a scheduling issue, but he made time to get out and get it finished ASAP early the following week.

He found 2 major faults with the chittronics installation. One a continuous wire was NOT used from the antenna to the modem something that is a no no. So, instead they spliced it and in doing so knicked part of the wire that was not repaired. Also, the PC Place installer found that a wire on our surge protector was loose, and therefore was a significant fire hazard. When we put up our business, code stated that we had to run individual 12g ground wires from every plug in to the breaker box, but I guess code doesn’t have to apply to installs like fusion. Also, something that’s been wrong the entire time is that the two kids that Chittronics sent out to do the install hammered the grounding rod into our driveway, even though I asked them not to. So, now when I’m plowing snow I get to worry about that too. Great.

In that interval, I also had a very nice chat with someone who is very much “in the know” about this product. They’ll remain nameless out of respect for their help. The Huawei equipment that Sasktel chose to go with, that we are left with no other choice than to go with, is complete. The processors within the modem/router box are known to burnout and fail. There is no way to simply have the box spit out usable signal that then you can distribute throughout your home as you see fit. The Huawei box has to be the one that hands out the IP addresses for your home network, and there’s no way around that. THIS IS NOT THE SAME AS YOURLINK OR OTHER RURAL HIGHSPEED SERVICES BEWARE.

The new install is working great. I’ve got most of my network back up and running and it seems to be working just like it was before all this garbage started 10+ weeks ago. So now it’s time to talk about some compensation for all this time wasted and frustration. pay close attention to this part you all need to know some very important points before you consider going with fusion. I lost 2 full days of my time trying to troubleshoot this, and prove to them that THIS WAS NOT AN ISSUE WITH MY NETWORK. I said is dozens, if not hundreds of times, and in the face of overwhelming evidence they remained adamant that this was my fault. I had to turn to these online forums before they really “jumped” that’s brutal. No one should have to be an online mouthpiece just to get the service that they pay for.

BEFORE YOU GO WITH FUSION, YOU NEED TO KNOW THE FOLLOWING:

1. You, and your service/support needs will be tossed back and forth between ST and the dealers like hot potato

2. You likely don’t know it, but if you go with Fusion, YOU own the equipment. You have no choice in the quality, brand, or country of origin of the equipment. The equipment is. If that crappy equipment fails after it’s one year warranty, you cheap jerseys are 100% on the hook for the replacement or repair to it including manlift rentals, etc. This could easily be another 2 3000$ bill THINK ABOUT THIS before you choose your provider. Yourlink was far from great, but when there was an equipment issue they came and dealt with it.

3. Fusion is not cheap to get. An install can easily cost 2500$ if you need a tower in your yard.

4. Fusion is not cheap per month. It’s a premium service at 80$ per month. It’s capped at 5MBPs (vs. 100MBPs for premium services in the city), and 50GB total per month.

5. Very few people at Sasktel actually understand the fusion system. Their entry level call center people certainly don’t, and their second level people don’t either. You will likely have to raise all kinds of chaos even to get to someone that A. Cares, and B. Knows what they are talking about enough to help you. You will be told stories by one person that is completely contradicted by another. They will call each other liars. You will be blamed for problems with your service and told they cannot help you from their desk (a false statement). You will be left in the middle with a 90$ a month bill and no internet service.

6. Sasktel has very very poor control of dealers overselling towers. Their method of controlling volumes is to tell the dealers, via fax, to stop selling. Sounds reasonable “Dear Mr. Wolf, please stop eating the sheep. Thanking you in advance. Yours, Sasktel.” I have been told by too many different people that this is the case for it not to be true.

7. Sasktel will pretend they care, until they have to put their money where their “care” is, and then their tune will change.

8. At the end of it all, if Sasktel is proven to be wrong beyond a shadow of a doubt, they are not above simply shrugging their shoulders, saying “well, we tried” and saying they can’t provide the service that they won’t allow any other telecom to provide in this province. Unreal.

9. For those of you that are new here, or that have forgotten, Sasktel is a monopoly in this province. If you think that they are going to act with accountability or reason, they won’t because they don’t have to. They can hide names from you, they can blame unnamed people, they can just not call you back and get away with all of it. Remember this next time you hear that Brad Wall is looking to privatize it. Don’t forget the $50M smart meter fiasco either.

I assume that this post is going to all be taken down by Sasktel PR people, so I am going to post it in a couple other SK community forums as well the rider forum, an ATV one, etc.

This experience has been absolutely brutal to say the least. I’m disgusted by Sasktel’s arrogance. I truly hope that privatization comes swiftly and without warning, such that accountability and competition will be introduced into this market.

I used to thing the SLGA was the crown that had to go first, but I’ve changed my mind. I can live without booze (or make my own), but in 2016 living without the internet in our modern world is pretty tough (and believe it or not I don’t know how to put up my own cel towers).

Hope you’re all doing well out there, and that you never have to struggle with what should be a fairly simple thing to provide. If you do, I hope my posts help you out some.