Bars and Battles---The Hidden Life We Live With Our Network Providers

"Hello.... hello, can you hear me clearly now?"

This is a general expression and saying that has now become an intone in the chorus of our modern life when we call on our mobile device, murmur of disappointment and annoyance, a request, prayer, desire and plead for a stable connection. And this clearly speaks volume on all the things about the hidden threads that connects us to our service and network providers.

In the present world we live in, the service provider is not just something we use, it has now become part of use—our day to day activities that majority of the people solely bank on it. The are all around us and them service as the unseen bridges in our world, our survival mode sometimes, our unseen expressway of emotion and opportunity. Nevertheless, how often do we take a pause to reflect the importance these network providers has contributed to our daily life?

Having A Preferred Network is More Than Just A Choice, It Is Our Salvation, Our Rescue Our Life Line

I once lived in a place where having a constant network requires more than just connectivity. It outlines and determines choices and decisions. It dictates and decides relationship. It dictates if you will be able to make that important phone call to your customers, loved ones, familiar members, wife, children, it determines if you will be able to join that online class, work from home, do that research and study for the next meeting or even call your lover on video chat to say, "babe, I miss you, I love you, when are you coming over".

Over the past few years since I stopped using GLO, AIRTEL and MTN has always been my aid, and I jungle between the two network providers if one fluctuates. AIRTEL, with its network coverage and minimal data consumption, is always a go-to for me. It has always served as a fuel for all my works including writing, and keeps me balanced anytime I need a network connection. But MTN —ah, MTN on the other side has this frequent "every where you go" network at the tip of my pocket where AIRTEL might not be reachable, and in a place where you can not find MTN network coverage, it is like having two people who are in love with you showing up for separate occasions in the same second of your life.

As Soon As There Is An Interference In The Signal Connection, There Is A Pause In Our Heart

A can remember vividly—an online presentation over Zoom, sometimes when I was still in school. The time was around 2:00 p.m., and just as we began the presentation, my GLO network back then dipped into silence like a grave yard. I started panicking and began to do all I could with sweat coming out of my body—panic. A frenzied SIM switch to my AIRTEL. An experience that lasted for just few seconds but felt like an eternity at that very moment. I still got the presentation done, but not without some moment of network glitch that caused delay.

Like I earlier said at the beginning of this write up, the whole of modern existence is now one way or the other dependant solely on technology and that is the truth, because service/network providers sometimes dictates our mode and they sometimes have a full control over how we react and our peace.

Imagine you are in a situation where you you want to make an important call and there is not network bar on your device, just the moment you see a single car on your phone, you limp for joy. Having or no single on your device can give you heartbreak or joy. Not even in a village this time, just imagine the scenarios where you have to move from one point to another or climb a tree or mountain just to stay connected and risking your safety. Isn't that bad? It is not just about reading the new, watching and scrolling through the social media apps— Facebook, Twitter and the likes, it is all about getting heard, having a sense of belonging and be found.

Battle of Feeling Along, Belonging, Convenience and Culture.

Having a network provider has now become part of our identity in the society we leave in today, when someone as, "which network provider do you use?" and you responded with, "Oh! I use AIRTEL not MTN". A lot of people uses different networks for different reasons, Some MTN like a forever relationship, Some Multilinks like a relationship that is fading away. I can say that having a network provider is something personal, has a deeper emotional value.

What They Do Not Know

Maybe all these network providers can do much more better if they truly understand how frustrating it can become and the weight we carry when their services crumbles and falters. Maybe they can truly get to understand that behind every "hello, can you hear me clearly" are two humans trying to check up on eachother, trying to make a business deal, trying to pass an urgent information access. Behind those failed text messages is a student trying to text his friends about the urgent change in the examination venue.

When the screen is busy loading due to network glitch, try is someone real at the other side who is trying to get heard or noticed.

Yes, It is all about survival and not just about SIM cards. It is about the signal bars landmine we try to avoid everyday. It is about having the best and reliable provider when the rest fluctuates.

I choose AIRTEL for it's network coverage and minimal data consumption. I back it up with MTN. But what I truly want is a stable network where we do not have to move around to have a strong bar, or switch our flight mode on and off like 20 times in a day just to get connected, or switch between Sims to make that call—just to be human.

What about you?

Thank for reading.

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