Editorial: It's Time For EC To Stand Against Horrible Internet and Cell Phone Service

Darren Doyle, Editor
In order to bring you updated news, events, and information, The EdmonsonVoice.com has to have two things: Internet service and Cell phone coverage. And in 2015, it's safe to say that an overwhelming majority of people in Edmonson County also rely heavily on these two items, as they now go hand-in-hand...you usually don't have one without the other. Many folks now are using their smart phones and internet usage more than their TV's.

I use caution about writing about two very large companies that have fooled the people of Edmonson County. I don't want to use this publication to bash people or companies, however, I will always use it to protect the good, hard working people of Edmonson County. I gave both of these companies I'm about to discuss the benefit of the doubt for so long, waiting for improvements, but that time has passed and it's now time for this county to do something about it.
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Cell Phone Service
First, AT&T. I became a customer in the year 2000 when it was Cingular Wireless, as countless other county residents did. For years it worked just as well or better than any other company, but that's no longer the case. I could sit in my office in Chalybeate and have a few bars of signal one minute, then no service the next. Calls were dropped multiple times per day, and I would receive voicemails days after they were left for me. Text messages began to fail to go through. But the most insane thing about AT&T service in Edmonson County? IT DOESN'T WORK IN BROWNSVILLE. The county seat of our home HAS NO SIGNAL. Why is this ok?

Do you know why this is still the case? Because Edmonson County AT&T customers continue to pay their bill and remain customers. As those folks continue to tolerate this horrible service, AT&T has no reason to make improvements here, and they won't. There are business owners right now in Brownsville that cannot use their cell phones at their place of business. Why is that ok? Do you enjoy wasting your money for service on an iPod? Because that's what your phone becomes without signal.

After pulling my hair out and calling AT&T week after week, complaining about service, begging for updated towers and technology, I finally got someone to tell me the truth. A customer rep told me that the equipment here was outdated and it wouldn't be updated for several years. It took dozens of phone calls from me to get this info. When I heard this, I immediately switched to Bluegrass Cellular, and they haven't paid us one penny to say that or to promote their company. They're not perfect, but my phone works virtually anywhere in this county.

So, what are AT&T customers supposed to do here? Simple. One of two things: 1. Switch your service immediately, or 2. Call and complain everyday until they have satisfactory coverage in this county. Until you do, you will continue to throw your money away and stay frustrated with a device that doesn't work. When AT&T sees that it finally matters in Edmonson County, they'll do something about it.

Internet
Where do I begin with this one? This one's going to be straight forward...Windstream is one of the most horrible companies that I've ever dealt with personally, and with EdmonsonVoice.com. Their service goes down almost weekly, and their customer service is a joke. Unfortunately, many people in Edmonson County think they have no other option, but this isn't true.

There is now Mediacom availability in many sections of the county, which we have just switched to, and they offer internet speeds that are literally 50 times to 100 times faster than Windstream. Think about that for a second...50-100 TIMES FASTER FOR THE SAME MONEY OR LESS. There is also satellite internet and Bluegrass Cellular offers internet service options as well. I'm not going to get into prices, but all these companies offer comparable packages and pricing.

​The photo is what I got in the mail yesterday from Windstream. It was a promotion of how I could get faster internet (for more money, of course). "YOUR INTERNET ACCELERATED" it says on the envelope. I laughed heartily as I saw it in the mailbox. So far, I've been without internet a total of 13 hours this week, (during business hours). So, I guess as long as the internet is on, they consider it "accelerated." Ridiculous.

Why is it ok for Windstream to have a monopoly on internet service here? It's not. But again, after calls everyday, begging for better service, asking when the service will be back on, asking for updated equipment, I demanded an answer, and one day I finally made my way up the chain to someone in charge. I said "I swear to you that I will cancel my service today if you don't give me some answers." He said, "Look, Edmonson County has outdated equipment, and it's not going to be updated for a long time. We have to take care of bigger populations first because that's where most of our customers are. It's still better than dial-up."

They offered me a $10/mo credit until the equipment was updated. That's something at least, but their service still sucks. Why are they not doing something about it? Because we're not doing something about it. Right now, call Windstream and ask for their equipment to be upgraded. If they say no, ask them why not? They're laughing at all of Edmonson County right now. They're laughing at you...

Two months ago, it was determined my Windstream router was fried (for the 5th time in three years). A tech came out to install a new one, and he was a really nice guy in his late 20's or so. After he was there a little bit and some chit-chat, I casually asked him, "So why is the service bad here?" He laughed out loud. He said he didn't know other than old equipment and wiring...but said bad service is good for guys like him, bad for me.

No company is perfect, and no service will ever run without issues. The difference is reliability, accountability, and customer service. Why would you give one cent to a company that doesn't care about you? These companies tell you they care, but their actions say the opposite. I've had issues with Bluegrass, but they were resolved. There was someone there who reached out and took charge. I'm sure I'll have issues with Mediacom. Will they take care of business? The folks here who have them that I've spoken with say they will...time will tell.

You may not have as much success as I did by finding companies that will work better than what you have, I don't know. I'm not saying you can just make a phone call and everything will be fixed overnight, what I'm saying is, you have to do something. There are dead zones in any rural place for any company, but until people demand more, things will remain the same.
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It's time for this county to demand changes. Although our population is smaller than surrounding counties, our money is just as green as the next guy's. We're just as important as the next county. They don't see it that way, and they won't until the good people of Edmonson County call or email and remind them every day. That is, if you can get a signal or get your internet to work in order to contact them...

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