I've been meaning to do an upgrade of my Airtel sim card from 3G to a faster network, as it's been buggy and slow for data and browsing, but haven't found the chance to.
The Airtel line is everything for me, in fact it's my business line or is it hot line. 😅. I use it mostly for calls due to the low call tariff and for browsing too. Well, the data plan is the same as the other network providers, so there's nothing spectacular about it.
So after months - rather, weeks of planning, I finally visited their office located at Okigwe Road, today.
As I got there, the receptionist gave me a form to fill and a number tag - 110.
A look at the the number and the customers already waiting, I made to leave, telling her that I'd rather come back another day, maybe a bit early, instead of waiting for hours before it gets to my turn. However, she was kind to inform me that it was just 17 people who were ahead of me so it wouldn't take long before I'd be attended to. "Oh, really? Then I'd wait, thank you." I said and settled in to wait.
While waiting, I overheard other customers' complaints about blocked lines, poor network service, and SIM swap issues. Typical of Naija network service providers. One even said that he was there yesterday for a sim upgrade but that it didn't work. Despite the concerns, I decided to proceed with the upgrade, hoping that the service would improve afterward.
True to her words, my turn came even before I realized. I walked up to the customer service representative who took my photo and issued a new SIM card. Of course, I paid for the service - ₦1,700, as nothing is free even in Freetown. 😂
The CSR warned me to save my contacts before swapping SIMs, as I'd lose them otherwise. She also mentioned that the old SIM would be deactivated within minutes, and that I should remove it and insert the new sim once I notice that the network is off. When I asked how long it would take for the new sim to be activate, she said 24 hours.
"24hrs? Damn! That means I'd be offline for a whole day", I almost screamed.
Truth be told, I was actually worried about being unaccessible for a whole day, since that was my main line, but considering it's a weekend, it seemed like a perfect time for it. Fortunately, I'll be home all day, so I can use the period to rest and focus on other things that matter most, especially tackling the bed bugs I wrote about yesterday. It's an unexpected break, but perhaps it's exactly what I need.
However, to keep my contacts informed, I posted an update on my WhatsApp status, letting them know of my temporary unavailability for voice calls but could be reached via WhatsApp on my MTN line. At least, that would help to minimize potential disruptions and make the transition smoother.
With this, I'm to have a better reason to imagine...
Thank you for reading.
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