Phone and Internet Connections

The apartment complexes have their own policies about phone and internet service providers.
I was informed by our apartment complex office that they do not allow BSNL and Airtel. We were very upset about it because the ISP they had was only Sify. And we wanted either airtel or BSNL going by the feedback we had received from our friends.

We spoke to some of the residents and were told that we can have BSNL as well as Airtel and there was no issue at all. This shocked us as we did not understand why the apartment office was telling us a different story.
Finally, my husband went to the BSNL exchange.
Here is a little excerpt from the conversation he had there.
My Husband- I need to apply for a land line.
Exchange- Where do you live?
My Husband- CV Raman Nagar
Exchange- OK. Go get us your neighbor's BSNL phone number.
My Husband- Why?
Exchange- We will determine by that number whether this is your telephone exchange or another one.

WHAT!!!! The consumer has to go to the neighbor and provide the number to the exchange to find out his exchange. Shouldn't the exchange have a map of the serviced areas. This is INDIA.

We did not have any choice, so he took the neighbor's number. He was given a form to be filled out. My husband had forgotten his pen in the car so he asked for one. The lady said, "Youuuuuuuu are Sooooooftware guy. Youuuuuu should be having a pen na."
EXCUSE ME!

Yes, people generalize you. If they feel you are a techie, then god help you. Because you are a rich man and are liable to shell out extra money, have a pen, have a mobile phone, etc.

We applied on thursday and a lineman came and delivered a fixed line instrument on Monday. Wow! That was quick- I said to myself. And, I realized how very wrong I was bout my opinions about India and things do work here. People are getting efficient now.
The phone kept silent for the next 10 days. Their was no connection. We called up the customer care center, exchange, Line man, everyone but got no satisfactory answer or result.

Finally, one day the line man appeared at our door again and said the connection will be done that day.
After about 30 minutes, he told me that there was some problem and he would have to come again later. I shrugged and said, "OK".

Another 6 days passed. He appeared again and this time did the connection. He did. But he killed the intercom this time. Now I had to find him again to fix the intercom but he threw it on the in-house electrician to fix it.
The electrician fixed the intercom but put the BSNL phone on sedatives this time.
So, back to square one!

Finally, it took about a month to get the phone working properly.

As for internet, I don't think it would be fair not to dedicate a long blog to internet connection. So, keep reading.