Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL
 ·Comcast
 ·Embarq
1 edit |  Local Exchange Carriers bait and switch scheme.
 When it comes to DSL service most subscribers do not realize that they can be a victim of bait and switch by the telephone company. The reason, all cable pairs are not created equal. I had a friend that lived in an area where the telephone company had a limited of cable pairs best suited for DSL service. My friend signed up for 5Mbps DSL service and I was able to verify that they were getting close to that speed using DSL Reports Speed Tests, when the service was initially installed. My friend must have been served through one of the high quality cable pairs because I later learned that the company would always assign new customers to a high quality cable pair unless they subscribed to the lowest tier of service. A couple of weeks later his speed dropped to about 1.5Mbps. When my friend complained his speed would be restored within a few days but would decrease a couple of weeks later. I checked with a telco technician that I knew and learned that if another customer in that area complained about low speed, a technician would switch the complaining customers line to one of the high quality cable pairs assigned to another customer. The technician would then transfer the customer that had good quality service to the lower quality pair, resulting in reduced speed.
Remember if you read the contract you will find that the LEC does not guarantee the speed of the connection. He found himself held to the terms of a contract that left him stuck with unreliable service. His solution was to demand that his monthly rate and speed be changed to the 1.5Mbps tier. After he did that he had no further problem. If the LEC cannot guarantee the speed the customer is paying for then they should not be allowed to charge Early Termination Fees. |
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dnoyeB
Ferrous Phallus
join:2000-10-09
Southfield, MI
1 edit | Re: Local Exchange Carriers bate and switch scheme.
I think the spell check got you. Its "bait" as in "bait and tackle."
If switching pairs requires a technician to go make some physical change, it sounds like a really expensive technique for the company to use. |
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Mr Matt
join:2008-01-29
Eustis, FL
·Comcast
·Embarq
|  What the telephone technicians call "Frogging Pairs" is a way to avoid or delay installing new cable. In an area where there were not sufficient good cable pairs a technician would exchange a customers good pair with a poorer quality pair in order to satisfy another complaining customer. Unfortunately these days, because of bridge taps, cable pairs that are suitable for voice service are not suitable for DSL service. Bridge taps allow one cable pair to appear in more than one building. That gives the outside plant engineer and the cable assignment department greater flexibility in delivering service to customers. Unfortunately a bridge tap can act as a tuned stub that will attenuate the DSL signal. |
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