DSL subscribers may be forced to switch DSL services

[blu-5a1Jt6qxUNc at public.gmane.org (Tom Metro)]

John Chambers wrote:
> Tom Metro writes:
>> It's stuff like this that makes me reluctant to switch my cable TV
>> service to Verizon, even it it ends up being cheaper and better.
> 
> To get service from Verizon comparable to what speakeasy gives for 
> $60/month  (fixed  IP, permission to run servers), Verizon's lowest 
> price was $200/month for "business" service.

I've looked into the FIOS business data offerings on several occasions 
and have always found the entry-level offering with static IP to be 
priced at about $100. See my prior posts:

http://www.nabble.com/Verizon-Fios-tf4188406.html#a11910436
http://www.nabble.com/FIOS-tf4189891.html#a11914692

If this has changed, can you cite a page with prices?


> That's hardly cheaper.

I specifically said "cable TV service." See my price comparison I posted 
a month ago:

http://www.nabble.com/Digital-tuner-cards-and-Verizon-tf4190173.html#a11915918

The FIOS business data offerings with static IP are indeed more 
expensive than lower speed, but otherwise comparable offerings from DSL 
providers.


> It has been reported by a lot of people that installing FIOS  usually
> includes removing the copper.  A few people have described being told
> by the phoneco people that the copper wires would be left.

I've read accounts on the net of people who have requested to have their 
copper lines left untouched, and have confirmed with a FIOS rep. that 
you can request this and they'll honor the request.

(The latter point coved this my prior posting:
http://www.nabble.com/FIOS-tf4189891.html#a11914692  )

But why should they care? The vast majority of people getting FIOS 
installed will be clueless to this detail, and thus Verizon still 
succeeds in adding barriers to competition in most cases.


Mark J. Dulcey wrote:
> They're trying to get permission to stop offering wholesale line 
> service for resale. If they get it, all CLEC DSL services go away -- 
> no Covad, no Speakeasy, no Earthlink, no Galaxy, no nothing.

I wonder if this "lock out" would also cover the situation where you are 
renting a "dry pair" from the phone company. My understanding is that 
the business arrangement between the DSL provider and the telco is a bit 
different under those circumstances, though I'd assume the DSL provider 
still needs the cooperation of the telco in order to place equipment in 
the central office.


> We'll be left with the cable/RBOC duopoly, and both of them only want
> to sell us second-class internet services -- no fixed IP addresses
> and no servers.

Comcast, RCN, and FIOS all offer "business" connectivity with the option 
of a static IP. They're all overpriced (compared to static IP DSL), and 
as I've mentioned on the list before, despite offering static IPs, some 
still prohibit running servers. This was true of RCS when I checked with 
them several years ago. I don't know about Comcast's business offering - 
they dragged their feet in rolling it out for so long that I lost 
interest. And as I noted in the posting I linked to above, FIOS blocks 
ports on their business service with dynamic IP, but claims they don't 
if you opt for a static IP (though they never produced a 
terms-of-service agreement stating that).

So your statement is only partially right.

  -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA
"Enterprise solutions through open source."
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/

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