At the time, it didn’t seem to amount to much – the standard text message from my mobile phone network provider was just letting me know that my monthly tariff had changed.
It was in there amongst the usual battery of text and app messages that hit my phone each day, but, shortly after receiving the tariff-change text, the supply of texts suddenly stopped!
On checking my texts during my mid-morning coffee break, I saw that there were two further messages after the tariff-change one, the latest one having been received shortly after 9 am.
When I tried to issue a text, the ominous ‘not connected’ message was displayed on the screen.
Further tests revealed that I could no longer make or receive calls – attempting to call out just generated the equally ominous sounding ‘not connected to network’ messages.
The only working things on my phone were WhatsApp, Telegram, web and mail apps – these were ok so long as there was an accessible Wi-Fi connection, which was the case when working from the family home.
There was nothing else for it, but it had to be said, I wasted way too much of my lunch hour (not to mention my life) contacting the phone network provider…
Going in via the landline was the only way I could connect to my network provider’s customer support system, and my heart sank when my first point of contact was an annoying AI Chat-bot!
As outlined in my post of 15/04/2019 ‘Rise of the humans’, I detest this recent telephony development.
This latest Chat-bot manifestation coming at me down my landline displayed all the classic hallmarks of their mechanised tyranny – its smug, bossy voice, its patronising, aloof tone grated mightily as it worked its way through its scripted dialogue.
For an entity credited with having artificial intelligence, it completely failed to understand any of my answers (before you say it, I was speaking clearly and evenly when responding the Chat-bot’s questions)!
It also kept cutting out mid-sentence, so all I could do was make an educated guess as to what the Chat-bot was actually asking for.
As you can probably tell, things were not progressing – the Chat-bot was looping around in conversational circles!
Just as I was on the verge of head-butting the landline telephone hand set, it eventually proclaimed that I was being put through to someone who could help me – I just wish it had done that that ten minutes before!
Whilst ‘on hold’, I was subjected to a lengthy musical interlude as I waited for an operator to pick up my call – to be fair, it was actually quite a pleasant Jazz piece, but It soon got tiresome as it was played endlessly between those ‘your call is important to us’ type of announcements.
Finally I was connected to a human being!
The Customer Services operator seemed very able – I was put on hold a few times over the course of her investigations, but she quickly pin-pointed the source of the problem – it was all down to this little fella:
The SIM card in my phone had been apparently wiped from the network providers system, which is why it could not connect to the phone network to make calls or texts.
A new SIM card, registered to my number, was to be sent to my family home, which would fix my texting and call issues on insertion into my mobile phone.
It would take three working days for the new SIM card to reach me by post, which I was OK with, despite the fact that I would be without a working mobile over the weekend – I was just glad my call to the network provider was over!
The following Monday afternoon found me on the 213 bus, heading towards Kingston, newly received SIM card in hand.
As I had lost my key to the SIM tray of my mobile phone, I was hoping my lunch-break trip to the Kingston branch of a mobile phone store (that was associated to my network provider) would facilitate the successful swap-out to my new SIM card.
The phone store turned out to be busy – It took an hour before an assistant became free, but they did have a SIM tray key for my make of mobile phone, and my dud SIM card was soon replaced by the new one.
I did the tests and … it still wasn’t working! My mobile still could not connect to the network using the replacement SIM card.
The phone store had a plan B – they were going to register another SIM card for my phone, or they were before their computer systems went down!
I waited around for a bit, hoping that their system would come back on line, but I eventually bit the bullet and went home.
It was late in the afternoon when I got back to the family home. I completed what was left of my daily work shift – I ended up covering my afternoon shenanigans with annual leave.
After work, another landline call to the Kingston mobile phone store confirmed their computer system as being back up and running. I headed out on the next Kingston bound 213 bus from New Malden.
On my arrival, the Kingston mobile phone store were ready to go – they managed to configure another SIM with my account details. When this second SIM was transferred into my phone … I could text and call again!
I once more had a working mobile phone.
Congratulations to all you good folk who have read this far down – I hope you all haven’t got too bored – for me, the whole thing turned into a real chore.
One thing this sorry episode did bring home to me was how over dependent I am on my mobile phone!
Roy's Weblog 
What an ordeal! I am glad you got it sorted!
Me too, ChibiChonk! It was doing my head in!
How dependent we ALL are on more technology than just our cells AND how deplorable are the technology companies that ANYONE has to put up with this )(*&^*()&^(*&^(*7!!
You are right there, spwilcen! I spend way too much time on my phone not doing that much.
A good and relatable read. All is well that ends. Thanks for sharing .
No problem, Wholeness Chronicles!
I’m so disappointed I can’t get a landline for my house phone anymore
That’s getting increasingly common, these days, Rachel. The providers are trying to push everyone onto fibre.
Yikes
Yikes! Indeed, June! What’s more it looks like my SIM disconnected from the network this morning – its happening again!
Oh, oh…
Sorted it out again – had to go back to the phone store to reset my SIM. Hope it doesn’t become a habit!
It’s good that your sim started works at last well shared 😄
Hi Priti! Thanks for that.
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Hi Priti. I would very much like to read your book – is that what this link points to?: https://notionpress.com/read/the-touch-of-breeze?utm_source=share_publish_email&utm_medium=whatsapp
Yes please 🙏 pritilatanandi783@gmail.com my e mail id if you have any problem then text me there I will share you my book links 🙏
BUON GIORNO
Good Morning, worldphoto12
OK 🙂
Love jazz … you really went through it !! What a journey 🙂
That’s true SiriusSea – It felt never ending! Jazz is great, but I think anything would be degraded when used on a corporate phone answering service.
Hahaha … yes!
Seems to be the standard with so many corporations today. Glad it was a fairly quick fix, the journey to get there however was a painful one. Ugh!
The journey definitly was a pain, Life with Alegria.
BUON WEEK-END
A good weekend to you too, worldphoto12!
GRAZIE MILLE ROYIII
A thousand ‘No problems ‘ , worldphoto12!
🙂
I cannot stand when the AI boot thing takes the call. It’s so irritating. I’m glad it all got fixed in the end, but what a headache.
It was, Kymber. Those AI bots are maddening!
Momo and me had similar issues with our AT&T phones. Got rid of them and went to an iPhone and no issues for a while. Now having problems. I am thinking about going old school to a flip phone.
Hi Phil! Sorry to hear about the issues with the iPhones – is it to do with the SIM card? Going old school with the flip phones may be easier – I remember never having these problems when I had a flip phone.
I don’t know how old your phone is but new phones have a Virtual SIM facility where you don’t have a physical SIM. Its convenient but also daunting. It is quite common where I live was wondering if you had that in your area? Glad you had that problem fixed.
Hey Ajinkya! My current phone is from 2022 so it is not brand new. Those virtual SIMs sounds as if the phone just links up to them across the network, without the need for a SIM being present in the phone’s SIM tray. That would probably make reconnecting to them a lot easier as you wouldn’t have to go to the store to change the physical SIM.
Yeah pretty much. It can be done through an app and great for international travel too. Some of my family uses this network internationally and its much cheaper than places like in Toronto even with roaming. Those roger or bell charges are insane though I remember paying $100-150 when I lived there in Toronto. But here in India its like $2.50 per month for 2gb/day plus unlimited calls and texts. And I can just recharge an international roaming plan for like $15-20 and I am good for a month.
Bernard Bonjour Ami amie
Que le ciel soit gris ou ensoleillé
Je t’envoie ces mots pour égayer ta journée
Que cette journée te soit douce et enivré de bonheur et d’amour
Bise Amicale
Hi Bernard!
Tu es une personne formidable et je suis heureux(se) de t’avoir comme ami(e)
J’espère que tout va bien pour toi
Passe une excellente journée, remplie de joie et de bonne humeur
Je t’envoie plein de bonnes ondes positives pour éclairer ta journée
je voulais juste te dire bonjour
Thanks Bernard! you are a great person too, and all the best to you. Liking the verse!
Well shared! You went through a lot! I’m glad all’s well at the end ….
Thanks Roksana.