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Comments on news posted 2011-03-07 09:46:46: As one of the few independent ISPs to survive the U.S. CLEC-pocalypse and begin building their own network, Sonic.net has a unique perspective on the broadband business. CEO Dane Jasper posts an interesting blog entry discussing the current U.S. ..

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rameus
Who's got my pickle?
Premium Member
join:2001-01-28
Martinez, CA

rameus

Premium Member

More for less

Here's to Sonic's success. I just joined the Fusion subscribers. Hasn't even gone live yet but if Sonic delivers the goods, I will have dramatically improved speed and saved money on phone/ ISP monthly.
ISP review to follow shortly after GO Live date.

r
NgtFlyer
join:2000-07-09
Marietta, GA

NgtFlyer

Member

I wish Sonic much success

There needs to be more ISPs like Sonic. I've been a long time Speakeasy customer and, well, post merger, it's been kind of a rocky road.

I hope Sonic has plans to deploy over here in the metro Atlanta area. I wish I could get the kind of speed the Cable operators can offer without having to deal with the Cable company.

I hope they enjoy a long successful future.

MEohME
@wideopenwest.com

MEohME to rameus

Anon

to rameus

Re: More for less

and that's what happens when you have a company that builds its network. They don't have to rely on what prices they pay the actual network- *cough DSLX with T*. When companies build out they save money and pass that onto the customers. If more and more companies did with Sonic does they'd be in better boats with their customers. Instead they just want to leach off the entire network. Granted Sonic does lease the last mile copper but at least MUCH of the network is THEIRs including their DSLAMs. Many other ISPs could do the same but refuse to. It's just cheaper to resell and then stick the customers to the hot iron when their wholesale fees go up. If DSLX did the same thing as Sonic they'd have a better product too and stop passing bottom of the line "taxes" that don't even exist just to make up for the difference they're losing when trying to undercut. (and BTW- DSLX is owned by the LARGEST wholesale DSL/Dial-up company the the US- they've been in business longer than a good share of 95% of the ISPs in business today)
MEohME

MEohME to NgtFlyer

Anon

to NgtFlyer

Re: I wish Sonic much success

Speakeasy was rocky WELL before their merger. I tired getting service with them before WOW moved into my city the rest of the way. I went from not getting service with them to "missed appointments" by me according to Covad when I didn't even have an appointment to not 'being serviced by the CO" Then Speakeasy decided to charge me over $300 for fees of service that NEVER was turned on. let alone I could get. I don't see Sonic expanding outside of their current areas as that is their nitch. Stay small stay local. If they expand- they'll lose the home town feel over night.

batterup
I Can Not Tell A Lie.
Premium Member
join:2003-02-06
Netcong, NJ

batterup

Premium Member

Build that network.

Then I will cry that I cannot have access to it to compete with you.

I will be looking for 100/100 to every outhouse from Sonic soon.

Guspaz
Guspaz
MVM
join:2001-11-05
Montreal, QC

Guspaz

MVM

Good luck

They sound very TekSavvy-like. Good luck to them.

MEohME
@wideopenwest.com

MEohME

Anon

they are NO way just like TekSavvy. TekSavvy is a TOTALLY different company that relies soley on reselling a network from start to finish. The only thing they provide is their own bandwidth to the Internet. Sonic.net OWNS their DSLAMs something that TekSavvy/Rocky can NOT say they do for their customers. And the ones that they could say - are VERY VERY few. American companies were REQUIRED to build out. Sonic.net was the ONLY one to actually do so and still doing it.

Pashune
Caps stifle innovation
Premium Member
join:2006-04-14
Gautier, MS

Pashune to Guspaz

Premium Member

to Guspaz
said by Guspaz:

They sound very TekSavvy-like. Good luck to them.

I second this. Though Sonic.net will probably never service my area (wish they would!), here's to them against the competition of bigger ISPs. Plus, I mean c'mon, they share the same name of one of my favorite video game characters.. before he made his 3D transition anyway, but that's another story.

Hats off to Sonic.net

MEohME
@wideopenwest.com

MEohME to batterup

Anon

to batterup

Re: Build that network.

The way it should be though. That's what everyone wants. A free ride to compete. Especially if the FCC decides to bring the Internet under Title II.
unoriginal
Premium Member
join:2000-07-12
San Diego, CA

unoriginal

Premium Member

What happens when the line needs repairs?

Since Sonic uses copper for their service what happens when it needs servicing? The site says you don't need local phone service from AT&T so who pays for the repairs if a customer ever needs work done? And who does it? Sonic? AT&T?

batterup
I Can Not Tell A Lie.
Premium Member
join:2003-02-06
Netcong, NJ

batterup

Premium Member

said by unoriginal:

Since Sonic uses copper for their service what happens when it needs servicing? The site says you don't need local phone service from AT&T so who pays for the repairs if a customer ever needs work done? And who does it? Sonic? AT&T?

You would have to convince Sonic that there was a problem in at&t's loop.Then Sonic would call at&t to fix the copper that "Sonic" leases from them.

That is why I like to keep dial-tone on my DSL I can call The Phone Company direct.
batterup

batterup to MEohME

Premium Member

to MEohME

Re: Build that network.

said by MEohME :

The way it should be though. That's what everyone wants. A free ride to compete. Especially if the FCC decides to bring the Internet under Title II.

It would be difficult if not imposable to force Verizon to wholesale FiOS. Verizon would never have built FTTP if they wern't given the guarantee that they would not have to treat it like copper.

The "last mile" is short but it is the most expensive and labor intensive tube to supply and maintain. Any MCI/WorldCom can serve up Kool-Aid as long as they don't have to send a tech out and crawl under every house in the country.
JesseHarris
join:2008-07-30
Sandy, UT

JesseHarris

Member

Veracity Networks

Sonic.net's approach is a lot like Veracity Networks here in Utah. They, er, "acquired" iProvo (not sure what word best describes how that all went down) and have been building their own fiber to Qwest DSLAMs to co-locate. Right now, they're pushing ADSL2+ in American Fork and probably making incumbent providers break out into a cold sweat. They have no debt load, a sterling reputation, and no qualms about building and maintaining their own network. Success stories like theirs are few and far between.

rameus
Who's got my pickle?
Premium Member
join:2001-01-28
Martinez, CA

rameus to batterup

Premium Member

to batterup

Re: What happens when the line needs repairs?

Sonic is my Phone Co. My Fusion will be running over Sonic POTS.

batterup
I Can Not Tell A Lie.
Premium Member
join:2003-02-06
Netcong, NJ

batterup

Premium Member

said by rameus:

Sonic is my Phone Co. My Fusion will be running over Sonic POTS.

Sonic cannot supply POTS as that would require owning the PSTN. Now if they build a CO and run a wire to your premise then Sonic would repair the last mile but until that happens Sonic has to call at&t if, and that is a big "IF", there is a problem with at&ts last mile.

Of course if there is ever a problem they will blame at&t.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

battleop to MEohME

Member

to MEohME

Re: More for less

"Many other ISPs could do the same but refuse to."

There are others but it's a long and expensive transition to make. In some areas it's just not cost effective because the penetration needed to support such a build out isn't there. One thing that Dane has going for him in California is a large potential customer base. Take what he is doing and do that in Arkansas and your per use expenses climb quite a bit.

That makes the investment much more of a risk and often the numbers just don't make good business.

CCNnorthcali
join:2004-03-07
San Francisco, CA

1 recommendation

CCNnorthcali to batterup

Member

to batterup

Re: What happens when the line needs repairs?

I have 2 POTS lines through Sonic. It runs across AT&Ts wire, but Sonic have their own equipment at the CO.

Veloslave
Geek For God
Premium Member
join:2003-07-11
Martinez, CA

Veloslave

Premium Member

The best going if you can get it

I was with Sonic for years and due to a move I am stuck with Comcast...

No need to tell you how well the two compare

Sonic.net FTW

batterup
I Can Not Tell A Lie.
Premium Member
join:2003-02-06
Netcong, NJ

batterup to CCNnorthcali

Premium Member

to CCNnorthcali

Re: What happens when the line needs repairs?

said by CCNnorthcali:

I have 2 POTS lines through Sonic. It runs across AT&Ts wire, but Sonic have their own equipment at the CO.

They have a DSLAM not a switch for POTS at least not in the CO. I ass/u/me you have VoIP. CLEC can no longer leech a switch from the ILEC. I thought all CLEC had there own equipment in the CO.

That said the question is who repairs the wire outside the premise. That would be the owner of the wire.

Now I applaud Google and Sonic for what they say they are going to do. I'm sure they aren't just blowing smoke as Google did when they said they were going to buy spectrum and build an open to all cell network.

Otto Pylot
@attens.net

Otto Pylot to rameus

Anon

to rameus

Re: More for less

I've had SonicFusion for awhile now having been a Sonic customer for years. At 3500 copper feet, I get 21.2Mbps download speed with rock steady performance. At about $40 per month for my DSL and AT&T (Sonic now) landline, I couldn't be happier. I hope they continue to build out so more people can take advantage of this excellent ISP.
34764170 (banned)
join:2007-09-06
Etobicoke, ON

34764170 (banned) to Guspaz

Member

to Guspaz

Re: Good luck

said by Guspaz:

They sound very TekSavvy-like. Good luck to them.

Except much better.

MEohME
@wideopenwest.com

MEohME to batterup

Anon

to batterup

Re: Build that network.

very true and i know that. The same thing with U-Verse. That is not shared either and once you actually switch to U-Verse, like VZ, you are unable to obtain any other services. And to most people's knowledge a good share of the Midwestern ATT (IL, MI and WI) has FTTH by ATT. It was part of Project Lightspeed. They rebuilt entire cities and pulled ALL copper out of the areas.
MEohME

MEohME to batterup

Anon

to batterup

Re: What happens when the line needs repairs?

In ATT you can still resell standard voice services. ATT never killed that part of their UNE services. At least it is available in Ameritech's region. As far as Cali could be totally different since Ameritech is different from PacBell.

I'm actually still waiting on the Google/Sonic FTTH Network.
MEohME

MEohME to JesseHarris

Anon

to JesseHarris

Re: Veracity Networks

iProvo was actually sold and then sold again. That's how that all happened. The actual company went belly up that bought it the first time. but as far as "building their fiber to Qwest's DSLAMs to co-lo" is different. That sounds like they're reselling DSL. If they were doing the same as Sonic.net Instead Veracity would install their own DSLAMs in the COs and have them connected direct to the Internet. They wouldn't build out Fiber as I'm sure Qwest does NOT allow Co-Los at the RTs.
MEohME

MEohME to battleop

Anon

to battleop

Re: More for less

very true and I understand that. But it's the fact that most claim that you only get "competition" when reselling. When in fact it's not the same. The Telco Act created competition by doing the build outs. but nobody decided to do them except a hand few. the ones that did ended up going belly up when the Local ILECs decided they could go into the DSL business and well and run everyone else out (Northpoint comes to mind) and then purchase them in bankruptcy so nobody else can compete and let their network rot.

I'd actually like to see Dane start running FTTH instead of waiting on Google to get their shit together. FTTH expenses could out weigh this buildout. Especially if started to partner with small towns/cities and sub-divisions.
MEohME

MEohME to Otto Pylot

Anon

to Otto Pylot
No, not Sonic landline, STILL ATT from the CO to your home. Sonic only resells the Voice or provides VoIP over the Copper/Internet and provides the DSL. IF anything where to happen to the copper- ATT still is to be called. Sonic won't be able to touch it.

batterup
I Can Not Tell A Lie.
Premium Member
join:2003-02-06
Netcong, NJ

batterup to MEohME

Premium Member

to MEohME

Re: Build that network.

said by MEohME :

very true and i know that. The same thing with U-Verse. That is not shared either and once you actually switch to U-Verse, like VZ, you are unable to obtain any other services.

Well there is the CATV company and I heard that Google is going to wire FTTP for the entire US of A. Not only that it will be a totally open network with Google only maintaining it at a wholesale level.
batterup

batterup to MEohME

Premium Member

to MEohME

Re: What happens when the line needs repairs?

said by MEohME :

I'm actually still waiting on the Google/Sonic FTTH Network.

It is coming right after the Google open cell network.

leibold
MVM
join:2002-07-09
Sunnyvale, CA

leibold to batterup

MVM

to batterup
Sonic does supply POTS. They did have to register as a telco (CLEC) to do so. Sonic.net is a certified public utility.

DaneJasper
Sonic.Net
Premium Member
join:2001-08-20
Santa Rosa, CA

DaneJasper

Premium Member

said by leibold:

Sonic does supply POTS. They did have to register as a telco (CLEC) to do so. Sonic.net is a certified public utility.

Yup, correct. In the CO, we have a DSLAM, and also supply line powered POTS voice. This makes it easy for customers to switch, because all of their existing phones and such work with POTS. We move over the wire to the premise at the same time as we LNP the associated phone number. It's quite seamless.

-Dane Jasper
Sonic.net
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