The stages of Fibre grief

TL;DR Using Vuma guarantees that you will experience all the classic stages of grief.

Stage 1: Denial. 13 April. I’m sure that Vumatel will be able to deliver Fibre. All these "outoppies" complaining on Hellopeter about not getting service out of Vuma probably didn't fill in the forms properly. Now they're moaning and groaning about something that cannot be difficult. I will be DIFFERENT. I can read instructions. I will get proper service! Place the order. 27 April. Vuma’s own two week deadline lapses without a peep.

Stage 2: Anger 7 May. Not only has no-one installed my CPE, they have not even called to schedule the visit. How DARE THEY MAKE FALSE PROMISES!!! WHERE IS THE SERVICE!! ...then I calm down before calling - I don't want to be marked as the angry customer. That ****** never gets service. On the call I learn that Vumatel are 'researching' (probably how to put in fibre cables), but they will call in a week to set up the appointment. 14 May. No such call.

31 May. I send a snarky email asking whether there will ever be a call to schedule the installation. The next day, the installation is scheduled. Note to self: Tech companies may actually respond better to the angry customer - who knew!

Stage 3: Negotiate 31 May. I ask Wirulink whether they can work with any other infrastructure provider than Vumatel. The question is never answered, so I’m guessing not. 8 June. Vuma hero Theo arrives, installs the CPE and says Vumatel will activate remotely. Surprisingly he keeps to the 2-3 hour installation time described.

11 June. Wirulink offers to send the router with Vumatel: I ask if I could rather collect it myself. I can get to the north pole unassisted before Vuma will get around to calling. They send it via courier and let me install it myself. Positive moment: Fast couriers are actually fast.

Stage 4: Acceptance It has now been another week since I installed my own wifi device and connected it to LAN1 in the CPE. I don't have internet. I have not moved to acceptance yet, but tomorrow I’ll be ordering something lower tech that hopefully exists. Fibre is a myth.

I'm not just another 'outoppie' who can't fill in a form or follow instructions, complaining that the world is moving too fast. These two companies actually cannot deliver the service they promise. With Telkom dial up, the internet was faster than the 0mbps I now have. Plus you knew beforehand that the service would suck.

Good news for you, the very patient reader who stuck it out to here, is that you will not blindly expect good things from either of Vumatel or Wirulink. Vumatel reference: VT-13 ********** & VT-8 ********** 2 Wirulink ***