In the USWest incarnation (rolling out in some WA cities June 19), the
copper connection:
1. is a maximum of 15000 feet if 26 guage copper; 18000 feet if 24 guage
copper (image of consumers out measuring wire size is not accurate ;-)),
2. must be totally without load coils
3. may have bridge taps, but each counts as up to 2000 feet, so if you
have very many you can't be far away.
USWest is expecting 50% or fewer of subscriber loops to qualify here.
USWest (in Washington state) tariffed this rather simply for the
consumer-level connection, or "MegaLine":
$110 setup, plus the "modem" (in the words of last night's presenter, who
is in charge of the Washington state rollout for USWest), or about $400
total to get started.
$40 per month for the xDSL line (called MegaLine at this level: 256Kbps
both directions)...MegaOffice is 512 and more money, etc.
regular voice line charge for the line it rides on
ISP charges on top of that (which USWest seems to be "capping" at $19.95 by
offering their ISP services for that). Top is 7mbps down; 1mbps up.
This tariff has one welcome change from the past: no difference between
"residence" and "business".
MegaCentral is the ISP equipment, with an ATM connection; MegaSubscriber is
the consumer or office end, at the various levels each with its own
Mega-name.
MegaZone, you clearly went to work for the wrong telco. ;-)
[For early-signup ISPs, USWest is saying: "If we can't get your
MegaCentral up and running by rollout day, we delay the rollout."]
USWest is calling their form of xDSL "RADSL" for "Rate Adaptive..."
--------
We also heard presentations from TCI @Home (busy rolling out coverage in
Greater Seattle through this year), a couple of wireless operators, and
WorldCom (somewhat out of place in a consumer-oriented show). MCI and GTE
did not show up.
Venue was Seattle Macintosh downtown Business Users Group (dBUG).
The above based on back-of-the-grocery-bag notes taken in the dark (I
forgot my notebook). [Grocery bags work quite well for the purpose!!...at
least those made by Townsend Paper <shameless plug for local company>]
--John
John Baxter
General OlympusNet messages to: tcijb@olympus.net
OlympusNet Tech Support for Macintosh: mac-support@olympus.net
(360)385-0464 or (800)896-1751
-
To unsubscribe, email 'majordomo@livingston.com' with
'unsubscribe portmaster-users' in the body of the message.
Searchable list archive: <URL:http://www.livingston.com/Tech/archive/>