SBC Planning 15-25Mbps DSL Networks

Tuxedo Jack writes "The Register reports that SBC has begun planning a massive network upgrade which will push fiber connections deeper into subdivisions and neighborhoods than before, resulting in incredibly fast DSL speeds for home users. Their current estimate for down/up speeds are 15-25mb/s down and 1-3mb/s up (mega_bits_, not bytes). SBC's press release goes into depth about this."

Comments

Deregulation is working

[SIGALRM]

From the SBC press release:

The recent decision by the Bush Administration to allow unlawful telephone wholesale rules to lapse and let stand the FCC's decision not to unbundle broadband is a positive step

As much as I disagree with the administration on many issues, last year's decision by the FCC to deregulate fiber networks was a positive step in the right direction. Loosening broadband rules will restore some competition in the industry; and we may see lowering prices for telephone and internet services.

However, although I look forward to fiber-to-the-curb, it'll be awhile, at least in my subdivision.

Re:Deregulation is working

[Monkelectric]

um? Bundling broadband is a travesty. In my town there are two choices for broadband internet: Adeplhia Cable or Verizon DSL. Verizon DSL is *HORRIBLY* oversubscribed and slow, so I choose adelphia internet. But I can only get adelphia internet by subscrining to adelphia cable TV.

Adelphia cable TV is *TERRIBLE*. Digital Cable looks like *CRAP* and they keep moving services over to it and taking them away from analog cable. They lie, cheat, steal (sending out letters telling you to "come pick up" a new cable box -- not telling you they charge for them monthly!) And no cartoon network! And did I mention all this service costs far more then dish?

Basically, bundling is a bend over and take it.

I hope they include firewalls

[PornMaster]

I sincerely hope that SBC includes managed firewall appliances with the service. Pricing should be high enough to include a minimally managed CPE for those who want one.

-PM

This would be an awesome upgrade

[TheMadPenguin]

I currently run on a 3MB/256k cable connection for home usage and it works well, so I can only imagine what a service like this would be like... and COST. It seems to me that it would be out of the price range of most home users for quite some time. I definitely don't see myself running out to buy one anytime soon, even though the added bandwidth would be nice. I run a VoIP connection for our phone service (which utilized 90k up/down total) so it would be nice to beef up the upstream. This is lacking on most providers from my experience. Everything works great for me unless I happen to be talking on the phone and uploading large files to the Internet at the same time... then it makes for hard conversation as the upload chokes the phone.

Re:Bottleneck

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, some engineers at SBC are working this very moment to implement an opt-out outbound port 25 blocker. With proper advance notice, all customers will have 25 blocked on the router (except to our SMTP servers), and a simple web page will allow customers to enable this if they choose. This works on the assumption that if someone needs to hit an alternative SMTP server, they are probably competent enough to keep their systems clean. Even if optted-out customers do get zombified, they will be a very fraction of a small minority.

(Posted anonymously because I work for SBC Operations, and don't want to pass this by legal)

Re:Oh goody

[putzin]

No, this is a marketing ploy. They say they increase the speed, then give you the run around when you subscribe so you never actually get the service, and SBC essentially becomes a bank. They keep your money for a while, take the interest, and then eventually give it back when they can't deliver or stall anymore. Not a bad deal if you ask me. They are guarunteed not go out of business for doing this, and they can probably turn millions on the interest payments alone. Nice racket if you can swing it.

That said, my list of complaints with SBC and the laundry list of issues I've had with them have nothing to do with this post. The couple of months that I had DSL service (well, sorta, I think it worked on alternate thursdays between 9am and 2pm) was the best SBC service I've ever had. And yeah, I still use them for my phone (My roomate's fault). Nothing beats customer service reps giving an audible "Wow" every time they pull up my records.

Re:Gonna be tough to utilize

[GPLDAN]

99% of home users cannot use that much bandwidth regularly. But I think some of this will be licensed by Covad and other national DSL providers to provide business class service over.

If you look at Covad's web site, they have restructured the business offerings to offer DSL and Fractional T1 as EQUAL alternatives. And the large reason, I feel, is that DSL has issues with troubleshooting and reliability. It's hard to offer an SLA on DSL, when it was designed to adapt for noise. I've seen people get 8k of throughput on a 512k DSL line, just because the line has so much interference or has been bridged tapped too many times, that it is almost not useable. Almost. it costs money to train help deks to go into CPE and look at the db levels. With T1, it's a bit more cut and dried. You may need to adjust the CSU for power, but once it is going - well, that's what it is. ESF is going to give you the number of channels x 64k (56k if you need bit robbing).

But T1s get expensive as you start to bundle them. Multiple CSUs start adding up. Covad has them equal for now, because the fastest business class DSL they have is also 1.5Mb/s. Probably because they backhaul it over DS1.

With offerings of 25Mb/s, I know alot of companies that would like to get that for ROBOs. Very attractive. An office of 50 people can use that much bandwidth, I've seen it happen.