Offline

At 9AM Tuesday, the connection dropped.

We’re in a rural setting past KIA a few klicks off NH44. The cellphone here registers one-bar, which makes WiFi-calling an existential necessity. Here, the country’s most-networked and most-popular networks are both unable to offer service.

It was shocking to learn this while moving-in. After much pleading, we got an ISP active in the area to deploy their site team, lay cable, diagnose, and fix packet loss until there was signal at the door. In the end we had connection, and we soon forgot the pains of getting one.

Despite teething issues, the fewest number of days Indian ISPs let you subscribe is 30, which is fantastic, and none of the lock-in crap, security deposit forfeiture, or dealing with recovery agencies. The practice of offering pre-paid internet service in India is both clean and agreeable. But I digress.

When the line went down this week we panicked. Line damage caused by infrastructure crews in the area, who dig first, and ask questions after. Thankfully the ISP restored our connection with the outage lasting only 36 hours, and all is well again.