One of the stigmas hung around the neck of DSL is the inordinately long installation time. Coordination of loop installs, and CLEC vs. ILEC bickering (or just ILEC incompetence) for many years meant you could grow a full cycle of crops in the time it took for DSL Line delivery. This seems to be changing, at least for some.

When self-install kits originally hit the scene some time ago, there was naturally a large dose of skepticism among those of us who had waited endlessly for our DSL lines to go live. In reality, these "truckless installs" have had a fairly high success rate, with the relative success of DirecTV and others (at least of the initial install) backing this up.

Most companies have now made the self-install kits part of their modus operandi, but coordination snafus and bureaucratic quagmires still lend to lengthy install times for those looking to join the armies of the DSL faithful. However, there at least seems to be some improvement in getting the DSL line up and running, though much less in the ability to keep it that way. One of our moderators shares with us such a tale of wonder from Winnipeg, Canada:

Looking to cut costs and willing to take a slight speed hit, the elusive Kinguni migrated from Shaw Cable to MTS (Manitoba Telecom) DSL for $19.95/month for the first 6 months and then $37.95/month after that, compared to his 42.95 monthly bill for cable. Signing up via the company's website, he received his self-install kit and Efficient SpeedStream modem three days later. Included were the necessary filters and software, and after installing the cables and running the included setup CD, he was up and running that same day, happily testing at speeds of 1050 down/335 up. No muss. No fuss.

This may not necessarily be the norm, of course. Kinguni has technical knowledge and an army of BroadbandReports regulars to help him out in a pinch. According to MTS, an on-site tech install can usually up the time frame to 5-7 days, and there can still be line conditions and other extenuating circumstances that lead to delays, but the overall impression is certainly one of improvement.

A three to seven day installation with no hang-ups is a far cry from watching the Clec and Ilecs playing keystone cops in your back yard, basement, and checking account for months on end. Lending ammunition to the constant Coke Vs. Pepsi debate against cable, while bringing us one step closer to breaking the stigma that DSL installs take years off of your life.