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story category AT&T Hates Forced Bundling -- Or Do They?
U-Verse customers can't get VDSL standalone...
(old news - 12:30PM Wednesday Oct 17 2007)
tags: dsl · business · alternatives · bundles · TVIP · AT&T U-Verse
A few weeks ago, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson insisted that forcing customers to bundle services was "an old mind-set," adding that the telco needs "to get over it." Ralph de la Vega, AT&T's new wireless services boss, subsequently stated that "our point of view is, if you don't want it, we won't force you to buy it."

Click for full size
So our users are kind of curious as to why AT&T is forcing U-Verse VDSL customers to buy TV service as well. Obviously it's because AT&T wants to maximize the project's financial returns, but AT&T's website explains that it's really just for your own good:
Because AT&T U-verse members will gain the most features and benefits from having both AT&T U-verse TV and AT&T U-verse Enabled Internet, Internet must always be bundled with TV [emphasis added]. Customers can purchase AT&T U-verse TV service as a stand-alone product, but they cannot order AT&T U-verse Internet service only.
Users observe that if you order both, and cancel the TV portion shortly thereafter, it's unlikely that the telco will pull your VDSL service -- but it still seems like there's a major disconnect between recent executive rhetoric and reality. And speaking of forced bundles, we're still waiting for AT&T to offer all of their DSL tiers without mandatory phone service if the folks at AT&T really think the concept is so passe.

Related:
  1. New AT&T VoIP Service Coming Soon
  2. AT&T Revises U-Verse Deployment Projections
  3. Qwest Still Wishy Washy on IPTV
  4. AT&T Sets New U-Verse Goals
  5. U-Verse Arrives In Columbus
  6. U-Verse Hits Northeastern Illinois
  7. AT&T Hints At Femtocell Service
  8. U-Verse Voice Launches In Austin, San Diego
Forums » AT&T Hates Forced Bundling -- Or Do They?

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Post a:

N O Y B
St. John 3.16

join:2005-12-15
Hillsboro, OR
·Verizon FIOS
·Comcast

edit:
October 17th, @12:48PM

Forced Bundling Old Mind-Set


Well Duh. What is taking them so long to realize this. Further more it should also be illegal to tie non-dependent products and services, forcing the purchase of the unwanted. Remember DSL local phone service requirements. It was not a technical requirement but rather their business model/process artificially created requirement.

Didn't Microsoft get wacked for something similar?

Telcom industry is so slimy.

permalink · 2007-10-17 12:44:25 · Reply to this

rolande
Certifiable
Premium,Mod
join:2002-05-24
Powell, OH
clubs:
·ViaTalk
·ViaTalk

Host:
Linksys
AT&T Midwest

Re: Forced Bundling Old Mind-Set

Although it is not a technical requirement when you have known new or good telco cable infrastructure, when the cable plant is unknown, the sealing current provided by having a POTS line on the same pair as the DSL service provides a much higher likelihood of consistent service. This is a technical reason for a customer wanting to have a POTS line on the same pair as their DSL service or the telco requiring it to reduce repair costs. Having a POTS line on the same DSL pair also is a way of avoiding having a telco tech accidentally re-use your DSL pair for something else. The default is to test for POTS signal on a pair before using it. With dry DSL service the tech will think the pair is available for use. That is never good.

In any case, the telcos should do the "right" thing and not require the POTS service as a default. In the cases where DSL service is intermittent due to poorer quality cable infrastructure, they can offer the customer the option of adding POTS service to the line to possibly resolve the issue or cancel the service until they decide they are going to upgrade the cabling. As DSL is an unregulated service, the telco is not required to do anything to make it work. Obviously it is in their best interest to do as much as they can within reason and financial common sense. But big companies notoriously are not known for cornering the market on common sense either.
--
Ignorance is temporary...stupidity lasts forever!

»www.thewaystation.com/
»blog.thewaystation.com/
permalink · 2007-10-18 08:44:39 · Print · Reply to this

MiniMouli

@barclaysglobal.com

Re: Forced Bundling Old Mind-Set

What I'm amazed at is that ATT is forcing us to get VOIP with our U-verse even though we'd prefer a regular land line. The argument is that our apartment building is only wired for digital. Isn't that illegal, especially with all the 911 issues associated with VOIP?
permalink · 2007-10-29 17:12:13 · Reply to this

L337
Premium
join:2005-03-10
Chicago, IL

No More Contract!

I love the fact they don't force you into a 1 year contract anymore.
permalink · 2007-10-17 12:57:28 · Reply to this

Lil Jon
Premium
join:2006-06-26
Lawrenceville, GA

Re: No More Contract!

said by L337 See Profile :

I love the fact they don't force you into a 1 year contract anymore.
me too!
permalink · 2007-10-17 22:33:07 · Reply to this
Enlightener

join:2006-01-28
Cedar Park, TX

Same Old Same Old

Nothing has changed. I have FTTP Elite and they make me purchase phone service when I don't want it. I use Vonage instead.
permalink · 2007-10-17 13:10:42 · Reply to this
Ignoring U
Premium
join:2003-07-26
..
·AT&T Southwest

Re: Same Old Same Old

HELLO ALL,Hope your having a good day,a cple of weeks ago I was going to 'test" drive Vverse over or side by side with DTV,and as most also know I have almost every option i can get with swbell/sbc/att including cigular on one or separate account,only things i don't have is
1, Uverse
2,Web networking
3,that thing on Tv,where you throw the clothes in all dirty & smelly, & they come out pressed,ironed & folded,(say whaaaa)

but after talking with 2 diferent tier 2's,(2nd level support's & a sales rep.
I think i'am going to stay with my Elite & Pro dsl packages,not enough known about uverse yet,(the good & some i'am sure bad things.
Jazzy
--
Some people do not like nice & courteous people on the internet,simply because THEY ARE NOT ONE THEMSELVES

permalink · 2007-10-17 13:38:02 · Print · Reply to this
Ignoring U
Premium
join:2003-07-26
..
·AT&T Southwest

 understood, when i ran T.W. cable, for a week side by side with PRO,i HAD TO take the tv service to get their RoadRunner to teste for telling them come get it.,(that lasted all of 3 days) befor telling them come get it.
jazzy
permalink · 2007-10-17 14:12:35 · Reply to this

No to ESPN

@sbcglobal.net

Lets Look at this Differently

Thou shall not lie.

What a wonderful idea for CEOs, don't you think? Now what was the punishment?
permalink · 2007-10-17 13:30:04 · Reply to this

Penguins
Have You Played Atari Today?

join:2001-12-01
Cleveland, OH

Pull the other leg.

Does that mean I won't have to buy Caller ID w/ Name in order to get Privacy Manager anymore?

Yeah right.
--
Pure magic in 2k of 6502.
permalink · 2007-10-17 13:30:31 · Reply to this
bmn
? ? ?
Premium,ExMod 2003-06
join:2001-03-15
hiatus
·Packet8
·Cox HSI
·AT&T Southeast

At this point...

It sort of makes sense to make everyone buy the TV service... Right now, each new customer is a beta tester of sorts.
--
Prove it...
Save the Internet Time (NTP) service, use the pool.
permalink · 2007-10-17 13:32:08 · Reply to this
guardfrog

join:2004-08-27
Dallas, TX

Any reason why users would want this?

If U-verse VDSL offers the same speeds/price points as ADSL, why would someone want to do this?

From the company's standpoint, what sense does it make for them to pay the costs of a truckroll and new CPE for a service that's largely undifferentiated from the ADSL service?

I just don't understand the logic behind the question...
permalink · 2007-10-17 13:37:29 · Reply to this
Freezone

join:2000-09-29
Southfield, MI

Re: Any reason why users would want this?

U-verse has slightly higher upload. It has tremendous speed upgrade potential. And the vrad will be a lot closer than the CO. So you may only qualify for 1.5 dsl but can get u0verse.

If att wants more money from me all they have to do is sell me higher speed tiers. I would be more than happy to pay for more speed. Upload speed would be really nice.
permalink · 2007-10-17 14:46:04 · Reply to this

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA		 Lets assume that I don't watch TV, or use OTA HD or rabbit ears. Why would I want to pay for TV service ? Maybe I want VoIP, Internet and Wireless, but no TV. Why can't I bundle ?
--
Canada = Hollywood North
permalink · 2007-10-17 15:00:46 · Reply to this

jgkolt
Premium
join:2004-02-21
Lakewood, OH
clubs:

because

You may not get adsl but uverse may be around? Just a thought.
--
3 free for you/3 free for me: Investing Trades : PM Me
permalink · 2007-10-17 13:39:06 · Reply to this

timcuth
Braves Fan
Premium
join:2000-09-18
Pelham, AL
clubs:
·AT&T Southeast

Re: because

said by jgkolt See Profile :

You may not get adsl but uverse may be around? Just a thought.
I get ADSL but I don't think UVerse is around.

Tim
--
"Love consists in overestimating the difference between one woman and another" - George Bernard Shaw
~ Project Hope ~
permalink · 2007-10-17 13:46:36 · Print · Reply to this

DHRacer
Fire Survivor

join:2000-10-10
Lake Arrowhead, CA
·Charter Pipeline
·Verizon west (ex G..

edit:
October 17th, @01:46PM

How soon do they bundle EchoStar?

If the merger goes through....

Inernet must always be bundled with TV? Even if they are completely different delivery methods?

It's ATT. Anything stupid can happen.

Edit to Add: And don't forget the landline because you MUST hook up your Dish box for guide info. Whew, we got the Triple-Play back!

permalink · 2007-10-17 13:45:24 · Reply to this
Cyber2lz

join:2001-11-15
Odessa, FL

Note to self:

Do not beleive anything that comes out of any CxO's mouth from any company.
--
The Light Pipe is the Right Pipe !!!
permalink · 2007-10-17 13:50:41 · Reply to this
karlmarx

join:2006-09-18
Baghdad,IRAQ

As they say on futurama

Everyone knows the that AT&T is just a front company for Morbo!

FOOLISH HUMANS! YOUR TINY MINDS CANNOT BEGIN TO FATHOM THE WORKINGS OF MY PLAN!"

He despises most humans as they are puny and inferior to him.
--
Stick it to the MAN. Support your local torrent sites. Proudly providing 100mb of upstream for all your TV, Movie, and MP3 needs.
permalink · 2007-10-17 15:10:08 · Reply to this

Penguins
Have You Played Atari Today?

join:2001-12-01
Cleveland, OH

Re: As they say on futurama

U-VERSE DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY!
--
Pure magic in 2k of 6502.
permalink · 2007-10-17 15:32:59 · Reply to this

XBL2007

join:2001-01-03
Chicago, IL
·AT&T Midwest

Re: As they say on futurama

said by Penguins See Profile :

U-VERSE DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY!
Please upgrade your sense of humour.
permalink · 2007-10-17 17:22:48 · Reply to this
treaders

join:2007-09-23
Houston, TX

U-verse internet only

I would like U-verse internet service only.

I do not want U-verse TV because it does not offer the international sports channels I want (DirecTV does). If U-verse TV did offer Setanta Sports, heaps of HD channels and cricket (international sport) I would consider it.

I currently have 1.5Mbps ADSL from AT&T in Houston, TX (77006) and I would like to be able to purchase faster speeds, e.g. anything faster than 1.5Mbps, but I cannot because I am too far from the Central Office. I asked AT&T to sell me U-verse internet only but they will not do it unless I purchase U-verse TV as well.

The information from AT&T U-verse customer service is a complete contradiction to the CEO's and the wireless services boss's statements. Therefore the old mind-set definitely still exists and I am being forced to buy U-verse TV even if I only want U-verse internet.

I do not want to purchase both U-verse services and then disconnect the TV because I am very concerned that there will be disruption to my DirecTV service.

I am happy to pay more for faster internet speeds. I'm not happy to have to purchase something I do not want.

I like the service reliability of AT&T ADSL, I hope U-verse VDSL has similar reliability. I tried TimeWarner/Comcast for many years for faster speeds but the network reliability was terrible (in zip codes 77057 and 77006).
permalink · 2007-10-17 15:37:11 · Print · Reply to this

en102
Canadian, eh?

join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

Re: U-verse internet only

I would like something similar as well:

VoIP ($25/month)
Uverse or HSI standalone for --
Canada = Hollywood North
permalink · 2007-10-17 17:24:59 · Reply to this
treaders

join:2007-09-23
Houston, TX

U-verse internet only available now?

At »www.att.com/Uverse/files/u-verse···ml#Order it now says:

"May I order only AT&T U-verse TV, or only AT&T Yahoo! High-speed Internet U-verse Enabled service?
Yes, but you get a discount for having both services. Please visit »uverse.att.com for more product and service information."

I have not yet worked out how to order internet only though.
permalink · 2007-10-30 10:41:20 · Reply to this
Forums » AT&T Hates Forced Bundling -- Or Do They?

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