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JEMISON, Ala. (WBRC) – Your internet connection may be almost as important as running water and power, but imagine if every time you tried to use it, you had to cross your fingers and hope it worked?
Many of the residents I have spoken with in Jemison are fed up. One says the service has always been hit or miss, but all of the people I spoke with stress the internet issues have only grown worse in recent months.
“Over the last year and a half I guarantee you it’s been anywhere between 30 and 40 times that we have had like a day,” said Tiffany Gaines. “A full 24 hours where we haven’t had internet service.”
Gaines and her husband own several businesses in Jemison, and believe the issues are hitting their businesses bottom line.
“We use CenturyLink for all of our internet purposes, as far as credit cards, debit cards. When I am doing payroll, I have to have internet to be able to do the payroll,” said Gaines.
The Gaines family often has to use separate data plans or hotspots, which not only costs them more money, but time.
“Using my hotspot last week it took me about an hour and a half to do what usually takes me about fifteen minutes,” said Gaines.
Even a family who came in to buy ice cream while we were visiting say they too have struggled with the internet issues.
“You can’t get anything done. It’s more than just not being able to watch your Netflix,” said Tori Allen.
Allen and her family stressed this impacts everyone in the community, and she hasn’t seen much improvement in the service.
“They have had the monopoly here for years. They have had ample opportunity to get this fixed,” said Allen. “Get the internet up and going for people. It is the only one here, the only choice we have.”
I reached out to CenturyLink’s parent company Lumen Technologies for comment, and received this response.
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