[NCLUG] DSL Availability

[Michael Dwyer]

You know how I said I was seeing if DSL was available from SLC's?  Well,
it sure SOUNDS like it.  "Remote Terminals" sounds like SLCs to me... 
Here is the reply I've gotten so far.  I've done the favor of trimming
off all the marketing: "Sign up for DSL now!" Uhhh... I'd love to!

Anyway, the moral is, check again if you have DSL.  Check often!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The detail of the answer you need is not available at this office Mike.
You would need to contact the DSL office directly at 1-800-218-4443 and
pose this one there.

I can tell you that Qwest is a leader in a new technology, that expands
the DSL availability. With remote terminals, we can make many things
available, that were never available before. Qwest is actively setting 
up these terminals as fast as we can get them built. It will be in your
area, but we have no way of telling when, from this office (if it can
even be determined from any office).


Original Message Follows:
------------------------
--- Qwest Residential Services <service at qwest.com> wrote:
> Dear Michael,
> We apologize for the delay in responding to your email.

No problem!  I suspect you've been kept busy by the AT&T exodus :)

> At this time, your line does not qualify for DSL Services.
> Availability> of DSL Services are subject to certain specifications 
> including the distance from the serving office, whether the serving
> office offers this service, and other technical line qualifications.

Right.  We are faaaaar too far away fro DSL service.  And without a
fundamental change in the technology -- well, quite simply, our house
isn't getting any closer.  Our only hope for DSL service is to connect
our house to a closer switch.

> We do not have an estimated date of availability for DSL Services to
> your location.  However, our goal is to provide this ultra-fast

My suspicion, however, is that my area actually /is/ serviced, but
because of the unfortunate lottery of phone lines, my phone line is
not. That is, there MIGHT be a DSL-capable switch close enough, but I
am denied it because of grandfathered phone lines that go all the way
to the north side of town.

> There is no guarantee that DSL would work on an additional line if
> added Michael.  A line can not be tested until it has been working
> for 10 days.

Yes, I understand that.  And I even understand (vaugly) the reasoning
behind it.  But is it even possible to tell me that our neighboorhood
is serviced by DSL equipment?  Did the recent upgrades and expansions
that were mentioned include adding DSL equipment to the local SLC?

Thank you for your time.

> Original Message Follows:
> ------------------------
>
> Our home has two physical phone lines going to it.  One is active at
> 970/416-XXXX.  The other has been disconnected for some time, but was
> at a different exchange once upon a time.
>
> I was told that our current line goes to the Mason St. switch, while
> the other one went to a neighborhood DLC cabinet.
>
> Our current line is WAY too far away to get DSL service from the
> Mason St switch.  But we might be close enough to the DLC.  Is it 
> possible for us to switch to the other line?  Would that other 
> line be DSL capable if we did?