Dear Julian, I cannot tell you how pleased I am to share information with you on this subject. For several years my family ragged me about getting DSL, so as to free up the phone from the tieup which ensued using a modem connection.
At that time DSL was being advertised widely by several firms; it was the be all and end all of fast internet service. I bit. There was an online questionnaire, the answers to which would to determine if DSL were possible in my location. (basically, where do you live... zip code, etc.) I'll pare this down a bit. I was (electronically) told I was within the allowable distance to have the service work for me. I applied, and received the installation equipment and instructions. Following the instructions to the letter, I was unable to establish a connection. I phoned the so-called "technical representative" (each time getting a completely different person who went from ground zero to establish what my trouble might be. Each time the instructions were the same. Each time the instructions brought no satisfaction.) I phoned again, after probably twelve attempts to reach someone who would follow through. I was told that a service repair call could be scheduled (at a price.) I said I had never had service and wouldn't pay for a "repair." After numerous unpleasant exchanges, I was finally visited by a service repair person. He spent two hours, mostly on the phone with some other tech, trying to come to bring DSL into my house. He didn't do so. I gave up on DSL. Here's the point, in your particular case: You're too far away from a "node" or Control Center for service to reach you. The limit is about 15,000 ft., but varies with terrain. In the US, the big push for DSL came when our FCC ruled that local phone companies had to make their Control Center equipment available to independent companies to "piggyback" the DSL equipment onto the local monopoly phone company (in our case Pacific Bell Telephone .... PacBell) But PacBell was not forthcoming to the independent DSL firm with information about the distance a particular phone is from the PacBell Central Control point. Thus the independent company really didn't have a clue how long the phone line travelled from Central Control. Their computer program reasoned I was close enough for the service. Turned out, even though I am about two and a half miles from the Center, my actual phone line weaves here and about for another mile to the Centrol Control, making a working DSL connection impossible. Of course, the DSL company I was working with didn't have this information and PacBell wasn't volunteering it, since they were selling DSL service also. What British TelCom told you, I would believe : >"the line quality is too poor and would not guarantee an acceptable level of service.". Sorry about this. But for me to get to the bottom of my issues I went through hell for over a month dealing with uninformed incompetents who weren't authorized to say much of anything other than, "it must be something wrong with your computer." You needn't put yourself through this torment, just believe BritTel (and me.) I wish I could tell you something about a satellite link for you. There are many users hereabouts; they have internet connection, TV and phone service. I doubt that you have this, but honestly don't know. Could be worthlooking into. I do know that it is the only option in remote communities here. Fortunately, a cable company has installed cable in my suburban northern California community. I am very pleased with it. Good luck in your effort to optain increased band width/speed. Sheafe Ewing ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe send a mail message with a SUBJECT line of "unsubscribe" to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
