vision2020
Infrastructure Improvement
I'd like to attempt to clarify a few of the points discussed last week
under the subject "Infrastructure improvements". First, I should tell
those of you who do not know me that I am an account manager for GTE in
Moscow. I have account responsibility for the University of Idaho and
Washington State University, among others.
ADSL
My assumption here is that the reader is familiar with ADSL. If you are
not, and you're interested, please go to www.gte.com/dsl,
www.orckit.com/knowledge.html, or you may contact me at
rick.gerrard@telops.gte.com, or you may call me at 883-2505.
ADSL has been available in Pullman for a couple weeks and is in
operation at a couple sites there. Pullman made the GTE ADSL roll out
list ahead of places such as Los Angeles because we are working on a
project with an anchor tenant in Pullman. I have been pushing to get
ADSL in Moscow as soon as possible and, unless a large customer steps up
soon, which would move the time frame up, I expect ADSL to be available
here in the first half of 1999. I live in Moscow and I am as anxious as
anyone to have ADSL in Moscow.
Because ADSL is being rolled out so quickly in large markets across the
country, some people within GTE may not yet be aware that we turned it
up a couple weeks ago in Pullman. I apologize to Mr. Guyer and others
for the misinformation.
I don't know where the misinformation started that ADSL will be
available on only one in six lines in Pullman. I have seen nothing in
the technical specifications to support this assertion. There are
technical restrictions that apply to ADSL technology regardless of who
your service provider is. The most important to keep in mind is that
ADSL works only within 18,000 feet of the serving central office. GTE
can easily check your individual line to determine if there may be any
problems with providing the service to your residence or business.
To order ADSL, you must have a "content provider" to whom you will be
connecting. This could be the company for which you work, a university
with which you have an affiliation, or an internet service provider. I
am aware of three internet service providers that are ready (or nearly
so) to provide ADSL service in Pullman. I recommend you start with your
content provider to order ADSL service.
ADSL Pricing (hopefully this will clear up some misconceptions)
Installation is $60
Bronze 64Kbps X 256Kbps - $40 Month to month, $35 monthly with a one
year contract, $32 monthly with a three year contract.
Silver 384Kbps X 384Kbps - $60 Month to month, $55 monthly with a
one year contract, $49 monthly with a three year contract.
Gold 768Kbps X 768Kbps - $80 Month to month, $70 monthly with a one
year contract, $63 monthly with a three year contract.
Platinum 1.5Mbps X 1.5Mbps - $120 Month to month, $100 monthly with
a one year contract, $85 monthly with a three year contract.
Keep in mind that the above pricing is for the ADSL service only. You
will still have the cost of your telephone service for voice (even
though ADSL uses the same pair of copper wires your telephone uses) and
you will have the cost of your content provider. However, if you have a
second telephone line for your modem, as I do, you will save the monthly
cost of that when you go to ADSL.
If ADSL were available in Moscow today, would you purchase the service?
If so, please let me know which level you would buy. By doing so, you
can help me make the case for getting ADSL here sooner.
My apologies for this being so long winded. Please let me know if I can
clarify any of the other issues that ran through the "Infrastructure
Improvement" thread last week.
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