Category: Eagle Nest

Posted on by

High Speed Internet: So close and yet so inaccessable

It’s infuriating. While I enjoy DSL when I’m at the gallery, it’s another experience altogether at home. Try to watch a video or listen to online radio when it starts and stops and starts and stops. Try to upload a full length video to my new site (www.katherinesarttv.tv) and find that 5 hours later it’s still not done. Take it to the gallery and have it done in 4 minutes.

Before we ever bought land here, we called Qwest to see what was available. The rep we talked to ensured us that all we needed was here. Liar. Sorry, but no other word for it. Now, some 16 years later we are still waiting.

There are businesses and home businesses, non profits and families with children who rely on the internet for everything from education to shopping (for virtually everthing) and many for their livelihood. When the local provider goes down because of a snow storm, or just because it does, business stops. Online Learning stops. Ordering the life saving medicines or vitamins or underwear stops.

Qwest has DSL in Angel Fire AND Eagle Nest….but not in between. We are only about 3 miles from Eagle Nest, but nada. How hard can it be? I’ve been told that fiber runs along highway 64, but I’m not sure. If that’s so, then WHY IN THE WORLD can we not get service?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

A friend who used to work for Qwest once told us it would only take a “DSLAM” in a powered remote box. In fact, there is one just a few hundred yards from our house. So, after 16 years, what is the holdup? I’m about to become a REAL SQUEEKY WHEEL on this issue. This is global business economy in which we MUST compete to stay in business and meet our obligations. I don’t think the mortgage company cares that Qwest won’t provide us with DSL, but it will if those payments stop!

I personally know of several businesses along the highway 64 corridor that lost their internet service AND their email for FOUR DAYS. Let’s rally and rally and rally Qwest to get on the ball and get it done. Our money is as good as the businesses in Angel Fire AND Eagle Nest!

Angel Fire ArtSpace,
3469 Mountain View Blvd, Suites B2-4 Angel Fire NM
Posted on by

Harumph. Cogs in the Wheel of Economic Development

Good grief. It’s nearly halfway through 2008. One would think that cell service and access to it, reliably, should be a no-brainer…only a complex plate of choice.

Alas, not so. I learned today that my provider for the past year or so will terminate our accounts as of this time next month. Why? Late payments? NO. Apparently, we roam too much. No, that doesn’t mean we travel all the time. We roam where we live. We roam at the Gallery. We roam in Angel Fire, Eagle Nest and in between. We ran in to this problem before, not that long ago. After 20 some odd years as a Verizon customer, they informed us they would no longer provide service in our area. In that case, it’s NOT THE NETWORK. I’m not just annoyed. I’m a few steps beyond that. I dialed the 800 number on the letter. The customer service rep I spoke to said, “Yes, I would be very upset too. But it is just a business decision.” I said, “When is it good business to alienate and terminate hundreds, maybe thousands of customers?” She said, “Well those roaming charges we pay with some company called ‘Plateau Cellular’ are so high it is unprofitable.” Not wanting to unload on her (not her fault), I decided to blog. GRUUURUURUR. Two steps forward, three steps back. It’s bad for locals, and it’s bad for our visitors who come with bluetooth headsets on the ear, but no signal on the phone.

It’s 2008. Give me a break.

Angel Fire ArtSpace,
3469 Mountain View Blvd, Suites B2-4 Angel Fire NM