This is a story, a saga really, of residing in a rural area of Ohio and living
with the only communication service you can get, Frontier
Communications.

Let me start by explaining that I am a transplant to Ohio while my spouse
grew up here. My mom told me to find a real woman from the hills, and I
did. The wife and I relocated back to Ohio to help take care of her aging
parents. The only way to communicate with them is by landline and it is a
long distance call. The closest state route is five miles away from our
house. The closest food store is twelve miles away.

When we signed up for Frontier internet and phone many years ago the
internet package, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), was for up to 20
megabytes per second (Mbps). This was the speed listed on our paper
bills. Remember paper bills?
The speed never went above 1.4 Mbps. Back then you could call the local
office with your concerns. When I called the local office to complain I was
told flat out, “If you want better service, move closer to the equipment.” I
remember this statement because I wrote it down on the bill.

The response I received started me on a search for a different provider.
Then I learned something that was very odd to me being an outsider and
all. There is no other provider. Frontier has a monopoly on this area. It is
considered their territory by the state and no other company may infringe
upon it. You are stuck with Frontier if you want DSL. So for years and years
we have paid for barely having internet. For years and years I have
contacted frontier, by phone and by social media, and complained about
the service.

Last week I learned from a Frontier mechanical tech that I saw working in
the area that my area's equipment had been upgraded a couple of years
ago and you could upgrade your service.

What?
(insert mind blown gif)

No notice of this from the company? No call, no post on the account page,
no email, no nothing. Me constantly complaining to company reps on the
phone and they never mention this? What kind of business model is this?

So last week I upgraded to a whopping 8 Mbps (I speed checked it.) I
learned from the installers that I was the last person with their service to
upgrade on my street. The last one to know about it.
I thought this saga was over, but no.

On the Friday of the “ upgrade” the first thing Frontier did was cancel all of
my service, landline and DSL.

The installation guys showed up and used my current modem that I have
had for years. Frontier charged me for a new modem (that wasn't installed)
and ten dollars a month to use the modem that I have had for years.
Frontier demanded that I send my old modem back (the one they used) or
be fined $100.

Since the “upgrade ”my long distance phone service has been shut off.
Almost all calls from here are long distance. Today is Wednesday . I have
been on the phone every day since Saturday speaking to the Punjabi
servants of Frontier to fix my long distance. I have racked up 35 phone calls
with them in five days. Average time on the phone has been five hours a
day. Why so long you ask? When one servant can't figure it out, they
transfer you to somebody else. Finally the last servant will hang up on you,
and then you get to start all over.

I am on my sixth work order number. Every time they post a new work
order they screw up my billing and charge me even more money a month.
I have done their verification process six times.

My long distance worked fine last Friday, it still does not today.

This is living on the Frontier. I cannot be alone in this.