[ NNSquad ] Re: Free Press: FCC used 'flawed data' in broadband plan

[Larry Press <lpress@csudh.edu>]

On 4/26/2010 12:36 AM, George Ou wrote:

> at 9000 feet, a good quality line should be able to hit 6 Mbps sync.

So, is your point that the technician who spent 20% of his work day on 
my account incompetent?  Or is it that I do not have a "good quality" line?

Regardless, it turns out that Verizon sells two speeds -- 3 Mbps and 7 
Mbps.  Even if my line could support 6 -- the technician measured just 
over 4 -- I would be stuck with 3.

An analyst looking at Verizon's advertised rates in my zip code or my 
census tract would conclude that I had access to 7 Mbps service, and 
they would be wrong.


> People I know who have
> the Cable or FiOS product get their advertised speeds (actual payload)
> whenever I've personally tested them.


I am sure some people -- you may or may not know them -- actually get 7 
Mbps from Verizon.  So what?


> I would
> imagine that they're looking at VDSL2 with bonded vectoring which should
> push that speed to 1000-meter speed to 100 Mbps.


They may be looking at all sorts of things, but what is their roll-out 
plan?  Some people in my city can get FIOS.  Others can not.  The 
technician who came out to my house confirmed what Lauren stated -- they 
have stopped deployment to concentrate on increasing take-up rate in 
already installed areas.  He guessed I might get FIOS in 2 or 3 years.

He also told me he was very happy with their system because all those 
wasted truck rolls meant job security for him.  What a guy.

Maybe Verizon will bring better service to my central office when they 
get a little more subsidy from the PUC or Federal government -- we 
should ask Bruce Kushnick about that:

http://cis471.blogspot.com/search?q=Kushnick (3 posts)

Larry Press
 
  [ AT&T techs here in my corner of L.A. have frequently told me that
    the condition of the copper plant in this area -- in my case
    buried behind the houses and coming up on 50 years old -- is a
    major and increasing problem.  Techs have ever more difficulty
    finding suitable pairs for DSL (or now) U-verse, and that's even
    with U-verse VRADs in closer proximity to most subscribers than
    the original Pronto terminals (which still serve non-U-verse
    customers with DSL outside of direct CO range).

    Not only are the cables old and many pairs completely
    inoperative, but vast numbers of other pairs have unacceptable
    crosstalk levels for data, ground fault issues, plus many bridged
    taps cause additional problems.  Asked what AT&T plans to do
    about this, one tech laughed and told me nothing would be done,
    until at some point in the unspecified future AT&T started
    rolling out FTTH en masse.  "And don't hold your breath for
    that!" he warned me.

        -- Lauren Weinstein
           NNSquad Moderator ]