Non-existent data signal, non-existent customer care (more like 'don't care)

Upon returning to Joburg at the beginning of January 2021, I found that I had no data signal on my modem. Tried re-booting it as it had been switched off since mid_December 2020. Nothing. Eventually managed to speak to someone in the Vodacom call centre who told me that the APN settings had been lost and the line needed to be re-synchronised. It took about 48 hours but I eventually had a functional data line. That was the 4th-6th January.

Come the 17th January and once again, no data. THIS time Vodacom said that their technicians were aware of a mass outage and were trying to resolve it. Three days later - the 20th January - data signal was restored. During that time I was forced to hotspot from my phone and ended up having to buy additional data that was out of my budget.

On the 11th February, I rebooted my modem because I wasn't able to access certain websites including FNB's, and guess what? Yup. FIVE days, several irate phone calls, numerous tweets and one reference number later, I STILL DON'T HAVE DATA.

And the best that anyone seems to be able to do is tell me to re-boot the modem or stick the SIM card in another device (if they can give me the device, I'll do it, but the card is the wrong size for my phone so now what?)

Once again, I am forced to buy data that I truly cannot afford, because the line I rely on for work is non-functional.

Trying to follow up on the reference number today yielded an extraordinarily unenthused and disinterested call centre agent who, after telling me that SMSes had been sent yesterday informing me that the line had been re-synchronised (it had not, nor did I receive any SMSes except those telling me I was running out of data on my phone line), then proceeded to....wait for it....tell me to re-boot the modem. AGAIN. how many times must I re-start this device for Vodacom's network to miraculously start functioning again?

I am keeping a log, Vodacom, and this time I've had it. Contract cancellations - three of them at this rate - will be forthcoming.

#stayconnected HOW??