TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Tangled up Over DSL - Some Cell Phone Users Demand to Stand

Re: Tangled up Over DSL - Some Cell Phone Users Demand to Stand

Don Bowey (dbowey@comcast.net)
Wed, 25 May 2005 17:14:49 -0700

On 5/25/05 3:17 PM, in article telecom24.233.5@telecom-digest.org, William
Warren <william_warren_nonoise@comcast.net> wrote:

> Jack Decker wrote:

>> http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3195270

>> Some Cell Phone Users Demand to Stand Alone

>> By JOHN C. ROPER
>> Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

>> A growing number of U.S. consumers are cutting the cord on traditional
>> home telephone service, choosing instead to exclusively use cell
>> phones.

>> But many of these consumers have found ditching their land-line phone
>> service, and its accompanying cost, isn't possible if they want speedy
>> DSL, or digital subscriber line, Internet service in their homes.

>> Providers such as SBC Communications require customers to buy
>> residential phone service to have access to their broadband lines, a
>> tactic consumer advocacy groups say is unfair.

I'm sure the DSL price is based on there being a POTS line at the
premises, on which the DSL can be added. If the premises has no LEC
service, then the DSL price would need to be raised to include a loop.
Are you certain that SBC won't offer DSL under those conditions?

Don

> The independents, such as Covad, have had to order and use separate
> loops since they started in business.

> Cross-subsidy and competition issues aside, the Bells are certainly
> _able_ to offer the service on a technical level.

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Well, SBC claimed to me that naked DSL
was _not_ something they offered (as of a couple years ago.) Our local
ISP TerraWorld is permitted to resell SBC DSL, but the presumption is
the purchaser has SBC service. TerraWorld also is the local phone
company Prairie Stream, but they are _not_ allowed to resell DSL to
Prairie Stream customers. Duane (Prairie Stream and TerraWorld owner)
said he doesn't care. If he has to choose, he says, he would rather
have the customer on the Prairie Stream side anyway. He told me. "I
just tell customers to turn off the DSL (in order to use Prairie Stream)
and get Mike Flood (general manager of CableOne here locally) to turn
on their cable internet. They get better and faster service than with
DSL anyway, and Southwestern Bell turns out to be the loser, not Cable
One nor myself and Prairie Stream." He must have a good point ... Bell
has lost _a lot_ of business here in Independence in recent months. PAT]

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