Customers can't keep current high-speed Internet connection if they switch carriers

[Mark Holtz]

SBC has lock on DSL
Customers can't keep current high-speed Internet connection if they switch local phone providers

Eric Miller signed up for MCI's local telephone service last summer after a telemarketer convinced him it was cheaper than SBC Communications.

But in September, the Daly City resident got a shock: He couldn't sign up for high-speed Internet service unless he switched back to SBC, formerly known as Pacific Bell in California.

Although several Internet service providers offer DSL, none of them in Northern California now offers the service to customers who don't have SBC as their local telephone service. Exactly why is a matter of debate.

Full article from San Francisco Chronicle (http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/12/21/BU9296.DTL)

[gcutler]

My Earthlink Provider sent out a mailing to their DSL subs about this several months ago. I'm generally happy with Bell South service (except I can't have an Auto-Pay without using a BS Credit Card. And their attempt at combined billing BS Local and BS Wirelss was not very successful). I was thinking of switching to AT&T local, but this stopped me. Actually the Earthlink mailing said contact Earthlink before switching as DSL and certain Local Carrier may actually work while some won't (they may have just meant BS and DSL is the only combination that will work).

[raj2001]

You also can't get DSL here in New York unless your phone service is with Verizon.

[Rick_EE]

It was explained to that you could not share voice and DSL on the same line with different companies here by Ameritech. I was also looking at business connection, I am not sure about residential. You could have an Ameritech voice line and another's DSL line.

[gcutler]

Do you think they really explained it or threw some mumbo-jumbo and hoped you wouldn't press the issue. I bet it can be done, and all it will take is a long drawn out lawsuit by AT&T and others to force the local provider to open up the system as needed. I think the baby bells are realizing that it is an easy way to keep customers like myself from jumping.

[Rick_EE]

They said that it was a billing issue, not a technical issure. Only one company can own a line at a time.