With the frequency of load shedding I can see the following customer service call when their broadband over internet comes into being....

Customer: Hello is this umeme ISP?
Umeme: Yes, can I help you?
Customer: My internet is not working. it just went off
Umeme: Where do you stay?
Customer: Bugolobi
Umeme: Did you not read in the papers that your internet would be shedded today! Coincidentally we are also shedding power in your area today.  Do you have lights?
Customer: Yes I use a generator and invertor because the power goes off so often
Umeme: well that is not our fault it is the the fault of Lake Victoria. Anyway your internet should be back on around the same time the lights in your area come back, but that will just be a coincidence as the two are not related. We are Umeme ISP, not Umeme Power
Customer: ummmmm OK....  But will I be billed for the time you were not providing me service
Umeme: We increased the rates during the time you have the service so we can collect for the time when the service is not there!
Customer: So I will not be billed for the shedded time
Umeme: Yes........
Customer: Yes I will be or Yes I will not be
Umeme: No.....
Customer: No what?
Umeme: No service
Customer: Yes there is no service
Umeme: So there is no problem.  Thank you for calling. And remember, if God had wanted you to have lights at Night, he would make sure the sun never set!
Customer: But wait .... you load shed during the day time also.
Umeme: when its day time here it is night in Australia! Since this was an internet call I cannot answer any more questions, please call back and ask to speak to the power customer care people. 
[hangs up!]


On Jul 11, 2005, at 6:53 PM, Pete Kyoma wrote:

Move over uganda telecom et al:  the next big broadband supplier will be ...er...uhm.. Umeme! If the following works out that is...

IBM is to hook up with a US energy company to trial broadband over electric cables.

Big Blue and Houston-based CenterPoint Energy are due to begin trialling the service next month by wiring up some 220 homes with electric broadband.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/11/ibm_broadband/

Kyoma.
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