FZappa
join:2010-04-19
Miami, FL | [Services] AT&T Kills DSL and tries to switch to me to U-Verse ! Got the following in my email today re: my DSL service.
Goodbye AT&T - It hasn't been nice - that's for sure !
======================================
Important Changes Are Coming to your AT&T Internet Service
For service at:
xxxx
Dear xxx xxxx:
As part of AT&T's ongoing commitment to deliver the best possible internet experience, we're making service improvements to benefit all of our customers.
Within the next 45 days, your current service will change to AT&T U-verse® High Speed Internet service. You'll be able to enjoy faster Internet speeds and where available, take advantage of next–generation communication and entertainment choices!
In order for your new service to work you'll need new equipment — which will be provided to you free of charge. Since there are impacts to your AT&T High Speed Internet service, you, the account holder, need to contact us now to ensure a smooth transition.
Here's what it means for you
Internet
Your current AT&T Internet service will change to AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet service.
We'll guarantee the price of your current plan for the next 12 months
We'll match or beat your current Internet speed1, and you can take advantage of exclusive offers for speeds up to 24MBps
You'll still have all the same great features you do today and your email addresses won't change
Your monthly bandwidth usage allowance will increase from 150 GB to 250 GB per month
Your Check List
Today
Call 1.877.377.1686 to speak to a Customer Care specialist about exclusive offers.
8 a.m.–11 p.m., Mon.–Fri. (ET)
8 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat. (ET)
Closed on Sunday
AT&T U-verse
You CAN have everything!
Bundle your Internet, TV and Phone for one low monthly price and save $38 for 12 months.
After the service change, where available, you'll be able to take advantage of these other innovative AT&T U-verse services:
AT&T U-verse TV
Access over 160 HD channels and record up to 4 shows at once on a single DVR. Just ask your AT&T Customer Care specialist when you call.
AT&T U-verse Voice
You can continue to receive the same home phone services as you do today, at the same price or switch to AT&T U-verse Voice digital home phone service that offers you advanced features that make life easier.
What Do I Need to Do?
Get Ready! Your service change will take place within the next 45 days. To avoid any service interruption, please call 1.877.377.1686 as soon as possible to ensure a smooth transition. And be sure to ask about all the innovative AT&T U-verse services and offers that may be available to you, like the U-verse Choice Plus bundle, and save $38 for 12 months!
We're excited to bring you the next evolution of communications and entertainment products and services.
Thank you in advance for your patience as we work to improve our network and the services we offer.
Sincerely,
Your AT&T U-verse Customer Care Team
P.S. Call us at 1.877.377.1686 as soon as possible to avoid any service interruption and to ensure a smooth transition. Our specially trained team is ready to help.
1 AT&T High Speed Internet Customers who currently have a lower speed plan (768KBps or 1.5MBps) will be moved to AT&T U-verse Pro (up to 3.0MBps) at the same or lower price than they are paying for their current AT&T High Speed Internet plan.
2 For new residential U-verse customers. Includes One year term required for bundled U-verse services. “Choice Plus” Bundle (U-verse TV with 300 channels, U-verse High Speed Internet service with speed of 12.0MBps or higher and U-verse Voice Unlimited). An early termination fee of up to $180 may apply if U-verse services are terminated. After 12 months, U-verse service(s) will be billed at the existing standard rates unless cancelled by customer before end of term. Offer ends 7/14/12. |
|
 NetFixerFrom my cold dead handsPremium
join:2004-06-24
The Boro
 ·Comcast Business..
 ·Vonage
 ·Cingular Wireless
·Comcast
| Re: [Services] AT&T Kills DSL and tries to switch to me to U-Ver Read your current TOS, this should be no surprise. AT&T has always reserved the option to terminate or "upgrade" your service at their option. At least they seem to be offering an alternate path instead of just disconnecting the DSL service and leaving you with nothing. AT&T terminated one of my DSL circuits in March, 2011 with no option to migrate to U-verse (at any speed).
I think that Comcast offers service in Miami, so you may want to investigate your options. I moved to Comcast in March, 2011 and it has been a quantum leap in performance and reliability compared to the AT&T DSL service that it replaced.
--
History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
-- Dwight D. Eisenhower |
|
cramer
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC
kudos:7 | That's pretty much what they're doing... "We are decommissioning the DSL systems. Switch to Uverse(tm) or your service will be canceled." I agree; thank them for all the fish and leave. |
|
momus_98
join:2002-09-10
Pflugerville, TX
kudos:1 | reply to FZappa
You're getting potentially faster speeds, free equipment exchange, a 12 month price guarantee, and moving to next-gen Internet connectivity.
Not really certain what the issue is. |
|
NetFixerFrom my cold dead handsPremium
join:2004-06-24
The Boro Reviews:
·Comcast Business..
·Vonage
·Cingular Wireless
·Comcast
| said by momus_98:You're getting potentially faster speeds, free equipment exchange, a 12 month price guarantee, and moving to next-gen Internet connectivity.
Not really certain what the issue is.
One possible issue I can think of is that AT&T is about to disconnect the OP's current DSL circuit, and is only offering vaporware in its place.
Prior to AT&T disconnecting one of my DSL circuits last year, I had been getting offers to signup for U-verse for at least a year, and I still get the same email and snail mail offers. However in the real world (not AT&T's imaginary universe) U-verse is not available at my location (and I have been told by local techs that it is not likely to ever happen).
--
History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
-- Dwight D. Eisenhower |
|
cramer
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC
kudos:7 | reply to momus_98
"Potential" doesn't mean it really will be.
"Free" rarely is (while there's no line item for it, you are still paying for it.) In my case, replacing "the equipment" would be thousands of dollars -- Cisco 1720 + WIC-1ADSL... equiv. "upgrade" would be an 880VA series or ISR-G2 series + EHWIC-VA-DSL-A. [I've been using that hardware for a very long time. With Uverse, one cannot use their own hardware; they are forced to use whatever crap AT&T provides.]
At the end of 12 months, it *WILL* go up. My Bellsouth "DSL Extreme 6.0" hasn't changed price over the last decade. None of the technology (and thus speed) has either, but I can live with it.
VDSL is still DSL. It's bound to the same things that have limited all previous versions... loop length, loop quality, noise, power limits, etc. If you're next door to the DSLAM, yes, speeds are fabulous. But those speeds fall off a cliff very quickly. This is why ATT has wastedinvested many millions in peppering the countryside with VRADs -- they have to have one within 3000ft of every house. VDSL is just as dead-end as the aged ADSL technology it's replacing. There's only so much to be had out of a single tiny copper pair.
The issue is simple... they're forcing you to replace *your* hardware with *their* hardware; you have no choice in this. Due to their 802.1x authentication system, it cannot be replaced with generic dsl gear, or configured as a true modem (i.e. bridge mode) [it lacks this feature, 'tho dot1x is not an IP mechanism], so you're forced to live with (or through) whatever stupid routing engine is in it along with any bugs -- which you cannot do anything about. You are 100% at the mercy of ATT for support (firmware, capabilities, hardware repairs...) When ATT drops any given device -- and they do -- they cease to support it unless you replace it with the then flavor-of-the-day router.
And they're going to charge you more for it. Maybe not at first, but soon.
See Also:
quote:
Note that Motorola offers no support whatsoever for this device [NVG510] and you cannot get the manual for this product from either Motorola or AT&T.
»www.computerworld.com/s/article/···ery_good
The only copy was pieced together through the device's FCC filings. And AT&T has significantly crippled it for consumer deployment. (cli disabled, a lot of configuration options disabled, they config it rather insanely, etc.) Also, it appears to be running linux, however, neither AT&T nor Motorola mention the thing contains any GPL'd software at all, or provide any source code for that software.
The 2210's (if they're still handing them out) are well known to over heat and fail. And the -1ATT firmwared IPDSLAM models don't have a bridged mode either. |
|
|
|
cramer
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC
kudos:7 | reply to NetFixer
said by NetFixer:One possible issue I can think of is that AT&T is about to disconnect the OP's current DSL circuit, and is only offering vaporware in its place. Not entirely vaporware. If he gets the new (trash) router from them, it can auto detect modulation (ADSL vs. VDSL) and mode (ATM vs. PTM), but who knows how it will be configured. Or more to the point: how it will be auto-configured once it syncs (TR-069) In theory, with a dual mode modemrouter, AT&T can migrate him when ever they want with little disruption. (in reality, we know they'll screw it up for several days.) |
|
NetFixerFrom my cold dead handsPremium
join:2004-06-24
The Boro Reviews:
·Comcast Business..
·Vonage
·Cingular Wireless
·Comcast
| said by cramer:said by NetFixer:One possible issue I can think of is that AT&T is about to disconnect the OP's current DSL circuit, and is only offering vaporware in its place. Not entirely vaporware. If he gets the new (trash) router from them, it can auto detect modulation (ADSL vs. VDSL) and mode (ATM vs. PTM), but who knows how it will be configured. Or more to the point: how it will be auto-configured once it syncs (TR-069) In theory, with a dual mode modemrouter, AT&T can migrate him when ever they want with little disruption. (in reality, we know they'll screw it up for several days.) What I was referring to was to disconnect the ATM based aDSL service, only to find out that U-verse (in any form) was not actually feasible at that location. And after the aDSL was disconnected, it could/would not be reconnected either because there was a waiting list for DSLAM ports and the OP would be on the bottom of the list, or because the wire pairs had been moved to a cross box that did not have connectivity to the old DSLAM (and AT&T would not move them back). Both scenarios have happened.
--
History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
-- Dwight D. Eisenhower |
|
Reviews:
·Millenicom
 ·AT&T Southeast
·Verizon Wireless..
| reply to FZappa
It no longer amazes me that AT&T marketing has no clue what the network is limited to. I get U-Verse online marketing and emails in an area where they clearly do not have it yet. Two divisions of the same company that cannot coordinate their activities. How difficult is it to have an electronic map/database of the areas where U-Verse is actually fully operational, overlay the addresses of your old style DSL subscribers, and see which ones cannot be serviced by U-Verse? Do not send the marketing materials out to, and do not disconnect old style DSL service from, those who cannot get U-Verse. If the database gets updated every week, you would reduce these marketing and disconnect errors. |
|
 timcuthBraves FanPremium
join:2000-09-18
Pelham, AL
·AT&T Southeast
| reply to NetFixer
said by NetFixer:One possible issue I can think of is that AT&T is about to disconnect the OP's current DSL circuit, and is only offering vaporware in its place.
Prior to AT&T disconnecting one of my DSL circuits last year, I had been getting offers to signup for U-verse for at least a year, and I still get the same email and snail mail offers. However in the real world (not AT&T's imaginary universe) U-verse is not available at my location (and I have been told by local techs that it is not likely to ever happen).
Yes. I received an email from AT&T a couple of weeks ago stating that Uverse is now available to me. Since I am stuck on 3 mbps DSL, I decided to go see exactly what was available. According to the website, after entering my specific info, nothing. 
Tim
--
"Life is like this long line, except at the end there ain't no merry-go-round." - Arthur on The King of Queens
~ Project Hope ~ |
|
hws_homeHWS
join:2003-07-31
Birmingham, AL Reviews:
·AT&T Southeast
| I have been told that Uverse is now available in my area, but only internet. Currently on 3Mbps, at home and nearby office, so I checked to see if higher speeds were available. Word is that the max is the same 3Mbps. So what did they do, just rename DSL to Uverse? |
|
cramer
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC
kudos:7 | reply to NetFixer
If they are replacing the old ADSL DSLAM, then he has no choice at all. His old DSL line is being disconnected - period. He can opt to have it migrated to IPDSLAM or go dark. |
|
NetFixerFrom my cold dead handsPremium
join:2004-06-24
The Boro Reviews:
·Comcast Business..
·Vonage
·Cingular Wireless
·Comcast
| reply to hws_home
said by hws_home:I have been told that Uverse is now available in my area, but only internet. Currently on 3Mbps, at home and nearby office, so I checked to see if higher speeds were available. Word is that the max is the same 3Mbps. So what did they do, just rename DSL to Uverse?
In your case, your DSLAM is probably located in the CO instead of being a remote DSLAM (unless AT&T has recently begun deploying IPDSLAM equipment in remote terminals). The new U-verse HSI product uses a DSLAM with an IP based connection to the AT&T backbone instead of first going through an ATM concentrator.
The only time this change might result in higher speeds is if the old ATM based DSLAM was only aDSL and did not offer ADSL2(+) service. ADSL2(+) can sometimes have a further reach and/or slightly higher sync rates than plain aDSL.
The primary advantage to IP based hackhaul from the DSLAM is that often the ATM concentrator (which is often fed by multiple DSLAMs) would become overloaded and become a bottleneck (so potentially it may be a better connection).
The primary disadvantage (at least to some of us) is that the special IPDSLAM compatible DSL routers that AT&T supplies are SBC inspired brain dead models with very limited capabilities (compared to the routers that used to be supplied by BellSouth, or other ATM based DSL routers that could be purchased anywhere).
--
History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
-- Dwight D. Eisenhower |
|
NetFixerFrom my cold dead handsPremium
join:2004-06-24
The Boro Reviews:
·Comcast Business..
·Vonage
·Cingular Wireless
·Comcast
| reply to cramer
said by cramer:If they are replacing the old ADSL DSLAM, then he has no choice at all. His old DSL line is being disconnected - period. He can opt to have it migrated to IPDSLAM or go dark.
The email that the OP posted implied that the migration was to VDSL, not to an IPDSLAM (since it mentioned U-verse voice and U-verse TV). I know of several instances where migrations to VDSL did not work, and then the customer's only "option" was to go dark because AT&T would/could not reconnect them to the old ATM based DSLAM.
Sometimes the option is that you don't have an option (at least not an option involving AT&T).
--
History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
-- Dwight D. Eisenhower |
|
cramer
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC
kudos:7 | reply to hws_home
Mostly, but there are changes in technology. "DSL" is an old ATM based ADSL1 network. It's been around for over a decade now. "Uverse" (aka IPDSLAM) is a new PTM (ethernet) based ADSL2+ network. There's no more PPPoE (or PPPoA) and it's overhead and related headaches. Plus, ADSL2+ allows for greater speeds (sold 12 (18?) vs. 6; technology max. 24 vs. 8)
The main drawback, as I've already said, is the lack of choice in router. You have no other option than to buy or rent one of ATT's buggy, crippled routers. They are the only source of information, software, and support for these devices. |
|
| reply to FZappa
What are you whining about? You get faster internet for the same price. If you're going to complain, at least use (or show) your logic behind it.  |
|
| reply to FZappa
I wish we could switch.... I actually wished they put uverse in my area but it looks like its not going to happen. |
|
| reply to motoracer
said by momus_98:You're getting potentially faster speeds, free equipment exchange, a 12 month price guarantee, and moving to next-gen Internet connectivity.
Not really certain what the issue is.
said by motoracer:What are you whining about? You get faster internet for the same price. If you're going to complain, at least use (or show) your logic behind it.
1 answer to both...
RELIABILITY
the OP might be enjoying his DSL service when ATT created this illusion of disruption, outages etc. to move him to Uverse only to create the REAL problems... |
|
| reply to treyatl2006
Apparently at&t is damned if they do and damned if they don't. They get flamed if they provide u-verse and flamed if they don't. I didn't read any statements alluding to disruptions or outages. Take the offer or don't. Its basic capitalism. I would compare what "new" u-verse subscribers get vs. what this offer gets you. If it turns out the 12 month at current price is better, then why not? |
|
momus_98
join:2002-09-10
Pflugerville, TX
kudos:1 Reviews:
 ·AT&T U-Verse
| reply to medbuyer
said by medbuyer:1 answer to both...
RELIABILITY I know all about reliability, I grew up on Ma Bell. I've had AT&T Internet Services dialup, then moved to DSL when it was offered. In the '80s, I'd go out of my way to find a Southwestern Bell or AT&T branded pay phone (post-1984 breakup, other startups deployed pay phones; they were usually junk). Don't get me wrong, I remember the attitude they had when they were the only game in town, but damn if they weren't reliable as hell.
I deliberated over dropping my POTS & DSL for a great while because I was leery of VOIP. But I grew annoyed as I watched Suddenlink (the only other provider for me) leave DSL in the dust in terms of speed, while I was still stuck at 6 Mbps. But I finally made the jump to U-verse 12 Mbps and couldn't be more pleased.
Yes, I hated not being able to select my own router or control my hardware setup the way I wished and yes I still have my concerns with VOIP, but I can't say I'm not pleased. It's a compromise I can live with and I was able to shave about $40 off my monthly bill with the bundled VOIP & Internet.
said by medbuyer:the OP might be enjoying his DSL service when ATT created this illusion of disruption, outages etc. to move him to Uverse only to create the REAL problems... I might've been enjoying my analog rabbit ears without needing a DTV converter. I may have been enjoying sending a telegram to someone for the novelty factor. And I do keep my 1999 Gateway desktop with Win98SE because it was the first computer I was able to get for myself with my own money.
The point is DSL is now legacy technology & by all appearances, AT&T is beginning the end-of-life process.
Will the conversion be painless? I work in IT Services and no change is ever "non-disruptive". I suspect that once the bugs are worked out though, OP will realize that he may be worried about nothing.
--
"War does not determine who is right; only who is left." - Bertrand Russell
"Patriots always talk of dying for their country and never of killing for their
country." - Bertrand Russell |
|
