Do you need a phone with DSL subscribers are getting? [telephone subscriber] [new apartment]
Q: I am moving into a new apartment in August.
DSL is available, and costs half of what I pay for cable right now.
I have a cell phone, so I would like to avoid getting a landline if possible.
Can I still subscribe to DSL for $ 25 per month?
Re:I recently ordered the "Naked DSL" offered by Qwest. The fee is $33/month ($28 basic + $5 since I don't have a line). After all the additional fees are added up, my bill has been $40 and change for 2 months. That doesn't even count my ISP portion which is another $20. It's a complete rip-off right now. It wouldn't be as bad but they actually charge you more for some of their "fees" like the National Telephone Fund or whatever it's called. It's substantially more for this data-only line than if I had a phone line.
Needless to say I'll probably be switching to Earthlink before long. Having 1Mbit upload is great, but not for the price. I've tried hard to get Qwest out of my life and after I switch to Earthlink, that'll finally become a reality. Can't wait…
Re:I went through this myself in getting DSL for my own new apartment, and what I was told by both Speakeasy and SBC Yahoo was that I needed a phone line. So I got one with basic $10/month service (plus fees, no doubt), and went with SBC's $36.95/mo 1.5-3M/384K plan. The line will just act as a backup for my cell, which itself is paid for by my work.
Re:As they have said before: Technically you don't need to be a suscriber to get DSL. Only one or two states have passed legislation in that you can get DSL without phone service though. Most other states, providers are requiring that you get local phone service through them in order to get DSL. That's how they get ya.
Similar to Comcast Cable internet, cost $53 for non suscribers but offers it for $43 for subscribers with $11 basic cable with local channels.
Re:Don't know if this makes it any better for you, but you can purchase a stripped down phone service from Verizon (at least in my area) for about $14 a month. Not as good as $0 a month, but probably still better than cable.
Re:guy, technologically, there's no good reason why you need telephone service to get DSL.
Practically, you often do. Most of the operational support systems for the DSL companies were built to do things in terms of a phone number and simply can't handle (by design) the case where you don't have a POTS phone line to the location – they can't put in the order, engineering can't find you to provision the line, they can't put your account records in for support, they can't bill you, etc. This is all the result of assumptions, ones that were profitably convenient for the local ILEC and pretty much just stupid for the various DCLECs out there.
This is changing. "Naked DSL" is the term for ADSL over a (dry?) loop with no dialtone. Typically, you can escape the POTS service charges, but you cannot escape the taxes and fees for the "phone line" – this varies from area to area, but where I am the taxes and fees add up to be about 2/3 of the cost of my POTS line (grumble). Providers for SDSL or other dry loop DSL technologies are fixing their systems and learning how to provide service to locations with no phone numbers.
So the short answer is that you probably can get DSL, but it will require a lot of hassle and it probably will involve more than the basic monthly service charge (regulatory taxes & fees).
Re:The dial tone frequencies etc, are not really relevant to the issue of DSL.
In order to have DSL you need a presence in the Telco. Main Switch Systems (they need to connect the DSL DSALM to something) you need a Good working Copper from the DSALM to your house. There is probably even insurance and similar issues that might be involved in providing Utility services).
It does not matter what we think about DSL prices. From the ISP perspective the price of the DSL assumes that someone is taking care of the Copper and the other parts. If you do not have a Basic phone service these expenses are not paid.
I know from personal experience that even Verizon have some special fee concerning this issue. They wave it in areas of strong competition, but will insist on Line fee if they are the only game in Town.
:sun:
Re:I believe Verizon and Qwest are the only providers who will allow you to get the service with out getting basic phone service. All of the other providers will not allow you to get DSL without a dial-tone. Now, they might say that you need phone service to get DSL but that is completely untrue as DSL operates on frequencies that are outside the normal operating range of normal phone service.
Re:If it was up the all of us here, we probably will give it to you for free.
But you probably get a better answer if you will call the providers in the area that you intend to move too.
:sun:
Re:I've been told from a Speakeasy rep that you don't need a seperate line with some of their services. I was never able to verify this since I was beyond their ADSL area and had to go with Verizon.
Re:I had DSL Service via Speakeasy.net and all they did was add on a line charge and I was set. Great service never had a problem with it.
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Tags: new apartment, telephone subscriber