Just this May, I have been plagued with repeated loss of internet and cable TV service from my trusted cable provider after five years of stellar non-stop service.
It all started last May when their service contractor replaced the main fiber-link box. It turned out that some of their servicemen did not have a fixed schematic of their service area, allowing them to essentially do a switcheroo to restore another customer’s lost connection.
So, unfortunately, this has been disrupting my work-from-home routine since in the last two months I have lost service for at least six days on at least three separate weeks.
I have had to apologize to my editor about my delayed column submission and have been forced to miss my own schedule for some column topics and interviews because I can’t work when my materials are kept in separate files on my desktop and which I cannot access from my cellphone.
Since in the past I was overly reliant with my then extremely reliable fiberlink service, I never tried to check on how to use my bluetooth connection to connect to my other gadgets.
However, it seems my bluetooth cannot power my powerful desktop computer.
Similarly, I rarely use cellular data to work through my phone. Hey, I’m at that age when adopting new technology is similar to being a grade schooler and having a teacher repeatedly instruct you on your math and other curricular matters.
At least when I was still working in the office I could rely on my techie colleagues to teach me something I could not understand, or I could rely on our computer technicians to fix whatever glitch I could not understand.
Unfortunately, my husband is just like me …barely tech knowledgeable.
So here I am, forced to finally write – or rather, finger-type – a column for today’s issue on my cellphone for the first time ever, instead of drafting it using my computer as I have comfortably and efficiently done in the past, with easy access to my files and interview transcripts.
I was supposed to do a column on MUFG’s ESG financing work for today, but now I have to push back that article for Wednesday, hopefully, if my internet gets restored within the next few days – fingers crossed.
It even turns out that since I am relying on cellular data, I cannot even download the wordcounter app to check on the word count of this article.
In the past, I had a second back-up internet provider. Unfortunately that company has suffered from certain political circumstances and has been partially acquired by another company and is undergoing some changes.
Thus, I don’t have much of a choice, even as I have explored some back-up options that might not be as reliable because of the lack of adequate signal where I live.
The problem with the fast and ever- changing tech world for seniors is having to keep up and be at the mercy of technicians who are either not adequately trained or simply don’t care.