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If you do not currently have SBC local POTS service and you want DSL service from SBC, you must order a new POTS telephone line. This order must be placed and installed, before the DSL order can be placed. However, there are several other catches in this process, assuming that you are within the maximum distance from your Central Office or you are connected to a Remote Terminal that has been activated for DSL. Even if you have an existing SBC POTS line, you may have to have the phone number changed to become eligible for DSL service.

Wire Facility Database

Before a DSL order can be placed for a new POTS telephone line, the information on this line has to show up in the Wire Facility Database, which customer service has access to. This database only gets updated, typically, once every 30 days. If your line gets installed right after the database was updated, you have to wait almost a full month before its information will appear in the database and be eligible for a DSL order. If you have bad timing on your order you have to wait for awhile. For existing POTS lines that have been installed longer than a month, this is not an issue.

Assigned POTS Phone Number

When you order your POTS phone line, SBC will assign the prefix to the line. You may also be able to request SBC to use a certain prefix that you know is capable of having DSL ordered on it. This phone number must be within a DSL eligible prefix range, regardless of the fact that the physical line is connected to a DSL enabled CO or Remote Terminal. If the prefix is assigned out of an ineligible range, you will have to call customer service and request a new phone number that is in an eligible range. As of this writing, this will cost you $17. If you inform customer service that the POTS line was specifically ordered for DSL service and that you need a prefix that is capable of having a DSL order placed on it, they will be able to help you out. They can obtain a list of available prefixes for your line and then verify whether or not a specific prefix will be eligible or not. It also helps if you have neighbors with existing DSL service to know what the area code/prefix is assigned to their line. If you can get a number from the same range, you should be okay.

Certain phone number prefixes are considered pooled or ported. If you are unlucky enough to have one of these prefixes assigned to your POTS line, you will have to change it to get DSL service. So, even though you can technically get DSL service on the same physical copper wire, SBC is legally not allowed to place a DSL order on a line that has an ineligible prefix such as this. There is no way for a customer to know about this issue unless they make phone calls and ask.


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by rolande See Profile edited by lev See Profile
last modified: 2003-10-14 17:45:17