Verizon Online DSL

Verizon Online DSL, also called Verizon High Speed Internet, is a digital subscriber line (DSL) Internet service offered by Verizon Communications. It allows consumers to use their telephone and Internet service simultaneously over the same telephone line while benefiting from Internet connection speeds significantly faster than dial-up. As of Oct. 1, 2007 there are four speeds offered, 768kbit/s, 1.5Mbit/s, 3Mbit/s and 7.1 Mbit/s downstream (128k, 384k, 768k and also 768k upstream respectively).

Availability

Verizon Online is available in many areas where Verizon offers telephone service. Availability is mainly determined by the overall distance from the DSLAM, normally in the central office, in which the DSL signal originates, to the consumer's residence, where the signal is received. This cable length distance, known as the local loop length, is the physical copper cable length that runs from the central office to a consumer's household. The loop length is also important in determining the availability of package speeds as the DSL signal attenuates over the distance of the copper phone lines. This means the further you are from the DSLAM, the less likely you will be able to get the higher speed package or get DSL at all. Service may become available as more remote DSLAMs are built though remote terminal service is not as reliable as that from a central office.

The official maximum loop length for Verizon DSL, as of 2006, is convert|18000|ft|m|-2 from the Central Office or remote DSLAM. Work is currently in place to extend the local loop length out to convert|24000|ft|m|-2 The availability of DSL service depends also on details of outside plant including wire gauge and the absence of bridge taps, repeaters, load coils or other devices that augment the telephone signal and impair the DSL one. Newer residential developments are being designed with FiOS in mind so copper lines are not needed. This being the case, DSL cannot operate over strictly fiber lines.

Speed Packages as of December 2007

768kbit/s/128kbit/s 1.5Mbit/s/128kbit/s 1.5Mbit/s/384kbit/s 3Mbit/s/768kbit/s 7.1Mbit/s/768kbit/s

Service Offerings as of December 2007

Lineshare - Verizon Telephone Service required for Verizon DSL. This is the most widely available service.

UNE-P (unbundled network element platform) - Verizon DSL with 3rd party ILEC. This not as widely available.
Dry Loop (also known as Naked DSL)- Verizon DSL Service without any telephone/voice service required. This is not currently widely available though it is becoming more popular as VoIP and cell-phone usage lessens the need for analog telephone service.

Criticism

Some analysts are seeing Verizon's lowest DSL prices merely as introductory "bait and switch" loss leader campaigns. [ [http://www.thestreet.com/pf/tech/scottmoritz/10226542.html TheStreet.com] ] For example, SBC and Verizon both implement these plans under a 24-month contract that, when expired, jumps to a higher monthly price. Similarly, Verizon will aggressively market to households who have signed up for the promotional-rate DSL to upgrade them to new FiOS service which, once switched to, eliminates DSL as an option to the household, from any provider, unless the copper wires are re-laid to the premises. [ [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-32547261_ITM Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 08-03-2007, "Copper flap tests mettle of some Verizon FiOS customers"] ]

External links

* [http://www22.verizon.com/forhomedsl/channels/dsl/? Verizon Online DSL for home]
* [http://www22.verizon.com/ForBusinessDSL/channels/bdsl/dsl/bdsl_home.asp Verizon Business DSL]
* [http://verizon.broadbandplans.net/ Verizon Broadband Plans]
* [http://home.verizon.net Main Page for Consumer Verizon DSL customers]

References