Embarq: You Can't 'Ride The Copper' ForeverGo figure... 06:41PM Tuesday Sep 23 2008 by Karl Bodetags: dsl · Fiber · business · bandwidth · telco · EmbarqSprint spinoff Embarq currently only offers fiber to the premises (FTTP) to 129 developments (22,000 homes), because new developments (aka "greenfield" deployments) offers the telco the maximum return on ther investment. But according to company comments at a FTTH council meeting today, the telco could begin offering the service to more areas, and may ultimately jump into the TV business like their bigger telco brothers. Embarq says they've trimmed per-home FTTP install costs 19% this year, with another 5% reduction in deployment costs next year. That could, says Telephony Online, result in Embarq someday offering video services. "I personally believe we’ll [eventually] do a video play on network-based facilities," said James Hansen, senior vice president of network services for Embarq, during a panel discussion here at the Fiber to the Home conference. "We’re still figuring out how to do it and have it make sense." As it stands, Embarq is most aggressive in deploying fiber to cell towers in order to offer wireless backhaul connectivity. The company recently started offering ADSL2+ services, though customers in Embarq's special FTTP/FTTC communities sometime see slightly different pricing. Embarq realizes that ultimately, milking copper is a futile endeavor. “We have to increase capacity,” says Hansen. “Some people think you can ride the copper plant for another decade or so. Those people are dreaming.”
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 Smith6612
Premium
join:2008-02-01
united state | EmbarQ has the right idea now... That Fiber to the Home is the best thing out there, and that copper isn't going to be good to handle our speeds anymore. | |
|  | | d50man
join:2002-08-27
Hickory, NC | money talks Its very cost effective to milk owners of new(overpriced) homes into subbing fiber services.
They will also be easier to build out fresh links to them. | |
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Hazy Arc
join:2006-04-10
Greenwood, SC | Good To Hear Embarq ultimately gets the big picture. Great customer support along with great services equals happy customers. And happy customers equals revenue. | |
| | | patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
| upgrade or die I guess their beancounters said they can't have any growth from USF and T1 revenue. Upgrade or die. Nobody in their right mind would get DSL when cable is 2-3x faster for the same price. Also I wonder does Embarq offer sub-$20 DSL or not. If not, they are living off USF fumes in their gas tank. | |
| | hottboiinnc
Kyle
join:2003-10-15
Toledo, OH | Re: upgrade or die I don't believe they offer ~$20 DSL packages. But in some areas where you're the only provider I guess you don't have to. | |
| | | DarnellP
join:2004-10-12
Las Vegas, NV
| Re: upgrade or die said by hottboiinnc  :I don't believe they offer ~$20 DSL packages. But in some areas where you're the only provider I guess you don't have to. They offer 768/384 for $19.95 if bundled. | |
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cornelius785_nli
@verizon.net
| well it depends. what is the choices are 1.5mpbs dsl with nothing funky going with datapath to/from the internet or 3 to 5 mpbs cable that has various caps on total bandwidth, instanteous bandwith, various monitoring, dns redirection, and who knows what else? i think to some users out there, that dsl connection at 1.5 mbps starts to become appealing. | |
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RainWind
join:2000-10-20
Van Wert, OH
| said by patcat88 :Nobody in their right mind would get DSL when cable is 2-3x faster for the same price. I said that once too, and switched to Time Warner. I promptly switched back to Embarq. Time Warner offered me double the speed for the same price. What they delivered was dialup speeds.
I'm happily surfing along on Embarq's 10 meg package. I rarely ever have any issues. They've done a few things to annoy me, and I've had a few hiccups, but compared to Time Warner its a huge difference. Plus when I call tech support I get someone who at least has a basic idea of what DSL is, and they can speak English. | |
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Wills
join:2001-01-03
Port Charlotte, FL
| said by patcat88 :I guess their beancounters said they can't have any growth from USF and T1 revenue. Upgrade or die. Nobody in their right mind would get DSL when cable is 2-3x faster for the same price. Also I wonder does Embarq offer sub-$20 DSL or not. If not, they are living off USF fumes in their gas tank. I would like to correct you on that...There are people in their right mind who will chose DSL when cable is 2-3x faster at the same price. In my area it's either Comcast Cable or Embarq DSL. I have chosen Embarq DSL because they are more stable than Comcast, light years better support than Comcast, and Embarq has no issues with me running my own FTP/HTTP/SMTP servers on my connection like Comcast does.
When Hurricane Charley struck, all of the people on my block with Comcast had no service, TV or internet, for almost a month. My DSL never went down.
That, to me, is worth a heck of a lot more than 2 or 3 times the speed. What good is that speed when it isn't working?
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I have a shaved head, a goatee, and tatoos. Don't you realize the rules don't apply to me. | |
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MrMoody
Liberal Capitalist
join:2002-09-03
Smithfield, NC
 ·magicjack.com
 ·Embarq
| The Last Mile is the Longest This is cool and all but ...
I have an Embarq DSLAM about 3/4 mile from my house, and it's fiber fed. (Un)fortunately the housing density here is not that high, so I won't hold my breath waiting for them to run fiber to my house.
ADSL2+ works well though, faster than anything TW/RR offers here in both directions, and more reliable. Hey Embarq, how about VDSL?
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Electile Dysfunction: the inability to become aroused over the choice for President put forth by either party. | |
| | 
Fox McCloud
Ron Paul Enthusiast
join:2006-07-23
·Embarq
 ·Sprint Mobile Broa..
·Verizon BroadbandA..
| Re: The Last Mile is the Longest said by MrMoody :This is cool and all but ... I have an Embarq DSLAM about 3/4 mile from my house, and it's fiber fed. (Un)fortunately the housing density here is not that high, so I won't hold my breath waiting for them to run fiber to my house. ADSL2+ works well though, faster than anything TW/RR offers here in both directions, and more reliable. Hey Embarq, how about VDSL? I'm 4,900 feet from my remote terminal, and it's fiber fed...sadly though, it doesn't have a DSLAM (yet)...bummer eh?
Either way, I'm definitely not ever expecting fiber at my location, but, fortunately, I think the potential is definitely there.
Either way, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Embarq offer the 2nd fastest DSL speeds in the US? (with Speakeasy being #1 at 15 megabits per second)
Either way, I can't see telco's being able to milk DSL past 20-25 megabits, except for people that live right on top of a DSLAM....as I put it to a friend "telecoms will have to go all fiber, one day".
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"True Patriotism is more closely linked with dissent than it is to conformity and a blind desire for safety and security...I accept the definition of patriotism as that effort to resist abusive state power." -Ron Paul | |
| theDUDE
vote with your wallet
join:2008-05-10
Wytheville, VA | i disagree i don't have good service even the dialup is bad compared to other dialup. I'm not a happy customer. And customer service seems to treat you like nobody if they can't sell you something. | |
| voipdabbler
join:2006-04-27
Kalispell, MT
| Fantasy about fiber all the way in to the home. I have experience in a major enterprise--more than 20,000 users and a mix of true Cray super computers, mainframes and divisional LANs--that early on deployed a fiber backbone for it's campus but ran shielded, twisted pair copper to connect LANs and individual users. They still have the same set up and have no problems with network congestion, even with a growing offering of video training and conferencing to the desktop. Given the economy, don't expect to see these kind of projects go anywhere. I suspect you're going to start seeing a real drop off in paid TV subscriptions (cable and satellite) and expensive Internet broadband if credit contracts as much as predicted. Three quarters from now I expect all expansion/new technology projects at telcos, cable and satellite companies to slow to a crawl, if not they're not shut down completely. Things are going to get much, much worse before they can even begin to improve. I'm quite worried that we'll see triple-digit inflation, not double-digit inflation, by the 2nd quarter of next year--a lot of people are going to have major problems keeping a roof over their heads and food on the table. As the basic necessities of life sky rocket in cost and disposable income shrinks, cell phones, paid TV and high-speed Internet will become unaffordable luxuries. These industries should be quaking in their boots at the upcoming economic storm. | |
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Wills
join:2001-01-03
Port Charlotte, FL
| Re: Fantasy about fiber all the way in to the home. said by voipdabbler :I have experience in a major enterprise-- Sorry, but running copper 300 feet is a heck of a lot different than running it 30 miles.
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I have a shaved head, a goatee, and tatoos. Don't you realize the rules don't apply to me. | |
|
Dave_in_MO
@rr.com
| Embarq Broadband I have Embarq as my phone provider. North of US 50 in my area they provide DSL. However, those unlucky enough to live South of US 50 are out of luck. I sent them an email asking for a time frame when I could expect DSL and never recieved the courtesy of a response. (I have it from a reliable source that their DSL people don't think that there are enough people to offer it South of US 50). No wonder that they are loosing residential accounts...my neighbors' have terminated and gone to cellular. Go figure, sense Embarq isn't giving any of us a reason to stay. | |
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