DSL Availability

[xxHopefulxx]

So it's been a while since I've been trying to get DSL. With my situation, the power lines where I live are apparently outdated.  All Verizon needs to do is update them.  I live in a pretty well populated area, but I can't understand why they can't just do it.  I know plenty of people who live in mountainous areas and even they get DSL.  Idk what to do but its getting really annoying.  Im just wondering if anyone else is having issues like this.

[mattheww01]

Old copper is rarely a problem in and of itself (I had DSL service over a copper pair that is probably 70+ years old. I don't have a NIB, I have a porcelain terminal block) . Distance from the Central Office is the issue. Unfortunately DSL service is not tariffed, which is a polite way of saying that DSL is not a service that Verizon is legally required to offer, and in fact as long as the copper pair supports toll quality voice service (and in some cases ISDN), that is the extent of Verizon's legal obligation.

Verizon has made it clear from their actions over the past several years that they really don't want to put money into copper unless they have too. (I have to admit I was surprised by the ADSL2+ announcement).

What you have to hope for is Verizon can get a franchise agreement, and there is sufficient demand to support FiOS service, because there is where Verizon has been putting the money for the past several years.

[HOLDSTILL]

For several years I have checked and filled out the form to get DSL. None of my neighbors have DSL either yet we all live on a main north-south highway - US 301 in Hanover County. And we are about 17 miles from the state capitol and about 8 miles from the nearest business that has DSL. We are also about 8-10 miles from Ashland, VA which has DSL & Fios. The Zipcodes mentioned are 23069 & 23116 for US 301 known in our area as Chamberlayne Road, then Hanover Courthouse Road. Sometimes I wonder if Verizon know where I live since if I say 23069, they may think I live near the courthouse but I do not. the problem lies in the fact that the highway (US 301) has 2 zipcodes - northbound is 23069 and southbound is 23116 (normally as Mechanicsville). This is pretty confusing to most people & especially the solicitors that want me to help them mail cancer donation envelopes by only supplying the street address which makes me ask 23069 or 23116 on the envelopes - well no, why do you ask. Answer, because I am not a mind reader. So my question is - does Verizon know that Hanover Courthouse Road is 23069 AND 23116...?

Next, US 301 - some years ago, MCI and AT&T laid plastic pipe for miles & miles on the shoulders of each side of US 301 right past my house - I took pictures. MCI is now owned by Verizon which means that they can use all of that still very good almost indestructable pipe to put any of their cable in it since it is big enough for lots of wires and was intnded for that use. There are approximately 300 to 1,000 people in my area who would love to have DSL that are now paying for cable or dish & can't get anything else. We cannot get cable or clearwire - trees - so I am left on dial-up trying to run 2 businesses from home on the internet.

There is a new 450 ft communications tower now at Hanover Courthouse that was built to add cell receivers/senders but so far, only AT&T has inquired. Meanwhile the county administrators are furious that Verizon has not botherd to offer them service.

Your comments that Verizon is not at all obligated to provide DSL: they advertised a service hot & heavy for 2 years & then almost dropped it like a hot potato to make people buy FIOS. IF they had bothered to get those customers signed up with DSL first, they wouldn't have had so much convincing to do w/FIOS - but noooo they went after the almighty dollar & left us high & dry - and believe me there are plenty of us in the Richmond, VA area still without high speed internet. I seem to remember the government grant Obama gave to get everyone on DSL but I see more people from third world countries getting funded & getting their people on high speed internet or wireless than in our own country!

THIRD: If I could get a wireless card to put in my computer - which isn't going anywhere so I don't need travel availability - I would want to bundle that with my Verizon phone service - BUT you do not offer that bundle - why not? I cannot afford not to do this way so get me a break & offer that to all of us since you won't give us DSL (and I don't mean 2 lines & 2 bills or 2 federal taxes junk - just the wireless thing you stick into the side of the tower & your normal phone service as a package.)

Enough said, except I could say "Time's A'wastin" please do this now.

[jmw1950]

Whether Verizon knows where you are located or not is largely irrelevant. They have engineering documents that tell them length of the copper pair from the central office to your location. If it is over 3 miles, you are close enough, the next question is whether or not there is enough demand for the service to provide a reasonable return on investment for the Central office DSLAM equipment.

Seems to me you are missing the obvious solution to your problems, and it is probably less expensive than the Mobile phone solution: Satellite Internet service.

The major players are Hughnet (www.hughesnet.com) , Starband (www.starband.com) and Wildblue (www.wildblue.com)

[HOLDSTILL]

Where I am, there is only Dish to satelite serviced by Hughes net - they offer terrible service & are very expensive. They charge you all those set-up fees plus give you a bandwidth limit & when you go over - and I would because I am trying to run 2 businesses here - they charge you another fee. They are not a solution for me & I already called Direct TV to see who there provider was and for me it was also Hughes. We have 120 ft tall trees here but I do have a clear area that I could get a connection to on a new communications tower less than 1/2 a mile away. Verizon has not taken an interest in this tower yet & the county said they would love to have them on the tower. AT&T has already taken an interest.

Regarding copper - we are all copper out here.

Regarding interest: every neighbor I have talked to has signed up to be notified if service for DSL would be available & to notify them. Every neighbor has at one time or another actually talked to a Verizon rep about DSL service. There are several subdivisions near me as well so that represents at least 2000 people here that would sign-up. There would be enough households to sell their services to plus they would all rather use Verizon TV service vs dish or cable - more money for Verizon.

The nearest "Central Location" is in Ashland, VA - about 8 miles away. A friend of mine finally got them to come to her house & install DSL but they said she was actually too far away - she reports excellent reception - she is 2 1/2 miles from me.

DSL is supposed to be a mandate from the president - Verison is dragging their feet over expenses when their advertising bill for FIOS goes thru the roof. Verison advertised DSL alot about 2 yrs agotill advertises it the brochures in the Verison bill. They cannot say they are not obligated to provide a service if they are still advertising that they do. That would be false advertising. I know you are going to point out the tag line of "where available" and that is exactly why I am upset. If they had spent the money on DSL in the first place we would all be able to be hooked up to the rest of the communities across this country like all the radio, TV, Video etc programs say we are - just watch this to lear how to do this - video demo, or song or pictures - but we can't.

I have a client in the Black Creek area that gave up her home computer because of dial-up frustration. She now only does her email for her business & personal account on her work computer where there is DSL but her business is only open W-Sat.

I have to go to the library when I want to upload or download stuff for my business including PDF's & updates for my computer. In this day & age of thinking that surely you are on broadband so I will send you a huge file I have to stop it at the source & tell them to send me a CD.

The grant money is there. Verizon covers several states & is considered a monopoly that can do as it pleases. Now is the times to provide the DSL services it should have provided all along - before we all decide to get the FCC involved.

[xxHopefulxx]

Yea I can't understand where that money from the stimulus bill is going? I mean it was like 8 billion, so why aren't they doing anything with that money.  What they are probably doing is using that money for their own personal benefit.  I also can't understand why they are doing so much upgrading to their already fast network and spending so much money on making it faster in towns.  Like did they forget about everyone who doesn't even have DSL.  It's ridiculous with dial up, like all my friends barely know what Dial-up is,  because they just assume I have DSL.  And also, everything else in the world of entertainment is being based more and more around HSI.  So what's that leave us with, were stuck in the stone age with everything.  O and I also emailed some guy named Bill Kula who works for verizon because I told him I had Verizon phone for over ten years and still no DSL.  He hasn't responded back but he said he was going to look into getting DSL.  Maybe try emailing him too.

[HOLDSTILL]

Yes they are making their other services faster while leaving us out in the cold. My in-law next door says we are in a third world country BUT even those places have better internet than we do.

As I said - Verizon is a monopoly - there is no other service unless you can afford Comcast or some kind of Dish system which I can't & even the people on Comcast or Dish are saying they can't afford their services. Pure & simple, Verizon would be able to make money by hooking them up to TV & internet.  No I do not have a cell phone & I am not getting one either - no funds & actually no need. People are already too glued to their phones.

Yes my friends often forget I am on dial-up. My clients want to know if I charge more by the hour because it takes me longer to do a website or pictures & no I cannot do that - it is not their fault so my time is spent waiting and waiting and waiting for stuff to upload or download & I have to stay up till all hours to get my computer work done & I mean till 2,3 or 4 am & I have seen the sun come up before I went to bed.

This is discrimination in my book. Why, because if I had the funds I could probably pay for a line to be laid to my house or I could try wireless - which I would do if a bundle were offered - but as it is, I cannot afford an independent service provider costing $50.00 a month & neither can most of the people I know out here in never-never-land.

And I am only 17 miles from our wonderful Richmond, VA state capitol.

Like I said, our Hanover County supervisors are not pleased, neither am I or all of my neighbors.

DSL everywhere should be available - in this day & age it is a given & we need to be hooked up - now - the money is available.

So Verizon - get off your high horse and get us all connected like you were mandated to do with that grant money.

And those of you reading this - twitter this conversation please - I cannot, I don't have an account.