GNG News Guy
12-31-2007, 10:13 AM
http://i.dslr.net/urls/71/4471.gif (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/20-ATT-Naked-DSL-Arrives-90592)
In order to gain government approval for its acquisition of BellSouth, AT&T was allowed to conveniently author their own merger conditions (http://www.fcc.gov/ATT_FINALMergerCommitments12-28.pdf) (pdf), which the FCC boldly stated they probably wouldn't enforce (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/81397) anyway. Among them was the promise that they'd offer $10 DSL and "naked" (aka standalone, no landline) DSL service territory-wide before the end of 2007.
AT&T began offering the $10 768kbps DSL (+ local phone service) to comply earlier this year, though they neither announced or advertised the price point in the hopes that nobody would notice. AT&T's new CEO informed the press that AT&T didn't advertise the tier because nobody wants it (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/86273).
In similar fashion, they started offering the expected $20, 768kbps naked DSL tier via their website as of December 20, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution (http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2007/12/28/dsl_1229.html):The plan also does not come with a contract, allowing customers the option to drop the service at any time. More expensive DSL plans will no longer require a landline either. "We recognize that different consumers have different communications needs including those who rely primarily on a wireless phone and who still want to benefit from a broadband connection with value and savings," said AT&T spokesman Steven Smith.
As it stands, AT&T has been offering a variety of dry loop DSL options in several territories -- but not for all speed tiers, not in all markets and not at this new $20 price point.
In order to gain government approval for its acquisition of BellSouth, AT&T was allowed to conveniently author their own merger conditions (http://www.fcc.gov/ATT_FINALMergerCommitments12-28.pdf) (pdf), which the FCC boldly stated they probably wouldn't enforce (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/81397) anyway. Among them was the promise that they'd offer $10 DSL and "naked" (aka standalone, no landline) DSL service territory-wide before the end of 2007.
AT&T began offering the $10 768kbps DSL (+ local phone service) to comply earlier this year, though they neither announced or advertised the price point in the hopes that nobody would notice. AT&T's new CEO informed the press that AT&T didn't advertise the tier because nobody wants it (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/86273).
In similar fashion, they started offering the expected $20, 768kbps naked DSL tier via their website as of December 20, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution (http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2007/12/28/dsl_1229.html):The plan also does not come with a contract, allowing customers the option to drop the service at any time. More expensive DSL plans will no longer require a landline either. "We recognize that different consumers have different communications needs including those who rely primarily on a wireless phone and who still want to benefit from a broadband connection with value and savings," said AT&T spokesman Steven Smith.
As it stands, AT&T has been offering a variety of dry loop DSL options in several territories -- but not for all speed tiers, not in all markets and not at this new $20 price point.