DSL Broadband Phone Service
Comes to the Ranch…
Or Does It? (Part II)

As a past chairman of the Telephone Committee during the years that our phone system was designed and installed, I have been continually frustrated that this DSL-ready system has failed to deliver.  (Click Here to view Qwest's "What is DSL" information page.)

When I heard that there was a new sign on the tel-co central office in Trinidad announcing the arrival of DSL service to Trinidad, I began making calls.

First I was told flatly that it would not be available to us.  That prompted other calls to find out why our system, which was specifically designed and approved by U.S. West to be capable of providing DSL service to about 98% of the ranch, would not.  After all, we have a fiber-optic feed from Trinidad, 9 hubs scattered around the ranch each fed by 5 T-1 lines - all the DSL requirements and then some.  Where is the problem?

The standard answer has always been that the Trinidad office was not capable.  OK, but now it is! Now the answer is that the “cards” in the 9 hubs are not capable and that DSL capable cards were not available at the time.  Well, we will see if they were or not available as the investigation continues.

Today, I flagged down a Qwest repairman following the weekend storm outages.  He has turned out to be a valuable ally who contacted Qwest’s PR guy who is hell-bent to bring DSL to the rural communities.

The short answer is that if there are enough (I don’t have a number) of us who want DSL service, it can be done at some considerable expense to Qwest, if we move quickly. l (ie: I submit our list of those who are interested in time for you take advantage of Qwest’s current sale which ends on 7/30/04.)

Therefore please get the following info to me ASAP.  You can either call me with this or fill out the information and click on the submtit button to send it to me directly.

This applies both to current and future residents, whether in favor or opposed.  If you have any inkling of wanting DSL service on the Ranch, now or at a future time, please let us know so we can tell Qwest of the interest.

Name:
E-Mail Address:
Address:
Lot Number(s):
Phone Number:
Expect to have Ranch
phone service by about:
Interested in DSL service:

Approximate Date
DSL Service Wanted:
Other comments
or questions:
   

Please contact me by filling out the form above and clicking on Submit, by phone: 719 846-1124, E-Mail: gieske@surfbest.net or by donkey……… but do it soon.

Now some practical background and what DSL could mean to you.

Qwest DSL comes in two flavors, (256Kbps up/down Regular Service and 1.4 Mbps down/896 Kbps up Deluxe Service) compared to our dial-up at 26.4 Kbps.  This approaches, or in some cases, exceeds the speed of the satellite and approachs the speed of the cable that we will never get.  A DSL line also permits you to have both broad-band Internet service and normal phone service on the same single line. The current Qwest DSL package charge is about $26 over and above your regular phone line charges – plus taxes, of course – but it includes the ISP service required to make it work.  And yes, you will have to have a DSL modem.  Qwest has one for $59 or $3/mo.

This is probably about the same price as having a second line for dial-up Internet service at 26.4 Kbps, but 10 times faster.  Except that the current package includes the ISP service for which you are now paying between $10 - $30 a month.

For current satellite users, there are three DSL pluses:

That’s enough!  Call me or Qwest for more detailed information.

Eddie Gieske