Re: [PLUG] DSL has arrived!

[gabriel rosenkoetter <gr@eclipsed.net>]

On Fri, Aug 22, 2003 at 09:46:36AM -0400, Doug Crompton wrote:
> I am now Verizon voice. I am planning on going to SpeakEasy DSL. They use
> Covad. Would using Cavalier voice be a problem in that case?

It depends.

Will your DSL line be physically separate from your phone line, or
will it be a shared line approach? In the former case, you might
have a chance, but Verizon will probably refuse to put in a
data-only line without an Verizon voice line running to the same
site. In the latter case, this will definitely not work.

Verizon (and all other Bell kiddies) absolutely refuses to provide
DSL service across a CLEC-owned line. That means that you'll ask
Speakeasy for service, they'll ask Covad, Covad will ask Verizon,
nothing will happen for three weeks, and then Covad will be told something
cryptic by Verizon (probably, "that phone number doesn't match the
install address; something's fishy with the subscriber"). It'll take
another month to sort out that what Verizon would have said if they
weren't all lying sacks of shit (except the linesmen; but they hold
zero corporate power over this) is that they won't let Covad do
service across Cavalier lines.

And, PS, they seem to have Covad bound by an exclusivity contract
so that either Covad can provide DSLAMs only for Verizon lines or
for anything but Verizon lines. (That's completely speculation on
my part, but it "seems" to be the case.)

> Verizon would be out of the picture all together except for the
> fact they lease lines to the other carriers.

... which means that they are VASTLY involved in all of the above.
Verizon owns the physical fiber and copper, and they own the
buildings where the DSLAMs must be (because otherwise Covad/Cavalier
would be breaking a federal regulation by tapping into the phone
line some place other than a designated CO), so they completely
control access.

They say who's allowed to provide DSL service on a Verizon-serviced
line, and they say whether or not Covad is allowed to provide DSL
service on a Cavalier-serviced line. What they say about each of
those should be pretty clear by now.

> I think I need to call Cavalier and see what they offer in DSL.

Yes, you do. If you're going with Cavalier for one, you're going
with them for both.

I'd like to be able to use Cavalier for telephone service just on
general principle... but I like having Covad/Speakeasy DSL more. So
I suck it up and pay Verizon $60 a month for unlimited local,
regional, and long distance calling.

-- 
gabriel rosenkoetter
gr@eclipsed.net

Attachment: pgpVMsXleCfUS.pgp
Description: PGP signature