I have come to law the conclusion that the laws of physics must operate differently in different parts of the world. When I lived in the West Indies it was an observable fact that gravity was heavier and friction greater, hence slowing down the pace at which everything operated. Here the laws of physics, specifically as they apply to telecommunications, are altered as well. Perhaps it is because we are so far from the magnetic north pole, or maybe the North Star exercises some kind of astrological influence over telecoms, or perhaps it’s the hole in the ozone layer, or maybe even unknown “emanations” from sunken Atlantis.
It has been more than 50 days since I moved in to my new home/office and the Internet issues have not yet been resolved. I had hoped that moving closer to the center would make the ADSL lines more reliable–hoping for peace in the Middle East would’ve probably been a better exercise.
My nephew, the boy technology genius, found a router (an Internet connection gadget) that will combine the bandwidth from two separate Internet connections. Our original hope was to combine two ADSL lines to create sufficient bandwidth for us; this hope too, was dashed upon the rocks: last week we didn’t have enough bandwidth to even make a clear Skype call.
Then we decided we would use the router to combine one ADSL line with a wireless connection from Dedicado. While that would increase our monthly cost by US$220, we felt like the redundancy would be worth it since Dedicado has its own direct link to the Internet backbone. Once again however, hope foundered upon reality. After six failed attempts to make a wireless connection work, we tore up the contract– six strikes and you’re out. We were told by one of the technicians that the reason they could not make the connection work was that the company refused to allow them to use the “good equipment” that was more expensive, but more reliable. So unless the North Star or the ozone layer are responsible for greed and stupidity, I guess the management of Dedicado will have to take the rap themselves.
At this point we decided to bite the bullet and order some heavy-duty commercial Internet service. I wanted something with guaranteed bandwidth instead of the usual setup where you get anywhere from 5% to at best 75% of the bandwidth for which you’re paying. Having taken that decision, we only had two real choices: Anteldata or Telmex.
Anteldata was about US$100 per month cheaper than Telmex (US750 as opposed to US$850). Despite that, we made the decision to use Telmex so that we would have full redundancy, as Telmex, too, has its own direct connection to the Internet backbone. The Telmex connection is due in this coming Thursday; regardless of the result I will reported here shortly thereafter.
On a side note: this week Copperhead was supposed to have an ADSL line connected to his apartment by Anteldata. Accordingly, he left his apartment key with the portero, put his laptop on the table next to the phone line, and left a message, in Spanish, on the laptop telling the installer to “please connect the ADSL line to this computer”. When Copperhead return home he found a note from Anteldata saying that the ADSL line had not been installed because he didn’t have a computer…
Is it Magnetic North, the North Star, the hole in the ozone, emanations from Atlantis, or something else?
Oh my God, those prices bring pause! I know you’re running a business, but tell me, how much would the typical home user expect to pay per month for mid-range broadband?
>>Don’t have a heart attack! US$40-85 per month will work for 90% of the people. I just have special needs and am also especially demanding. Also, I should note, the prices are heading down. When I first looked at Uruguay in 1999, the internet I needed cost US$14,000 per month…
Left by futurexpat on February 3rd, 2007
Thanks so much for the quick response, and the good news. Don’t think I could live anywhere without my broadband! Amazing how spoiled one can get.
Left by futurexpat on February 4th, 2007
Man. I’m sorry you have such back luck w/ Internet. Our 1ookb/s Antel DSL connection has rarely (if ever) gone down over the last 3 months. I’ve been able to make skype and VOIP calls and never had one drop (except for when I’m downloading other stuff like podcasts etc.) The bandwidth has been decent, between 30-100k but usually hovers around 50-60k. It’s not as fast as a cable modem, but as far as stability, I’ve got no complaints so far… excuse me while I go find some wood to knock.
Left by marcus on February 4th, 2007
I’m looking into future retirement and stumbled upon your wonderful site. Everywhere I read it says how cheap it is to live in Uruguay. I looked at the Tienda Inglesa site and the Geant site and, while things are definitely cheaper, it didn’t seem as drastic as I expected. Any comments on the prices of these store as compared to the local almacen?
>>I almost never shop, so I am the wrong person to give you advice in that regard, I suggest you try our forum at www.sociedadsouthron.net. But I do think you overall question can and should be answered.
Despite what has been written by unscrupulous groups touting real estate bargains, Uruguay is not extremely cheap–if expense is your prime motivation, you would do well to look elsewhere. URUGUAY IS THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY however, if you want to live in a first world country! If you don’t need that, there are thatched huts throughout the world that will serve you well and where you can indeed live like a king (of the primitive tribal sort) for US$500 per month.
–The Southron
Left by jubiladowannabe on February 5th, 2007
Keep in mind that most posted prices in Uruguay include the 23% VAT. If you are comparing them to prices elsewhere, be sure you are comparing “apples to apples” (and taxes to taxes).
Left by Shirley on February 14th, 2007