Comments on: Embarq DSL Only $24.95: Your Price Until Pigs Fly*

By: Fiber Optic Cable Guy

Fiber Optic Cable Guy — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 02:37:05 +0000

I’ve had the same problem with my cable and internet. I’m so sick of these hidden charges…

By: joe r

joe r — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 15:29:53 +0000

I went thru the same experience trying to get dsl for a girl friend in Hamburg NJ.. No where in the ad do they tell you it will be 34.95 per month not 24.95.. When I spoke to a rep for Embarq .. she got annoyed when I questioned the ad and hung up on me.. Very deceptive

By: Trina

Trina — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 11:50:33 +0000

I have this type of plan with Verizon and another thing you have to look at in the fine print is the level of service. Mine says something about “up to” a certain speed of DSL service but I have never recorded that level of service from the Verizon speed test page.

By: RS

RS — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 23:05:30 +0000

I guess slightly off-topic, but I received a call early this week from AT&T that in August, my DSL line will be renewing at the $19.99 rate unless I contact them. This was unexpected because it was supposed to go to $39.99 when the term ran out. I guess they’re really afraid of losing their business to Cable and other services like Embarq.
(However, the call got me wondering if they’re going to start offering the $14.99 to everyone who calls, so I’ll make the call and find out.)

By: Chris

Chris — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 05:27:44 +0000

Josh,

While I am not disagreeing with the confusing polices, there are some parts of this that are not Embarq’s fault.

The “not available in all areas” clause is because of the limitations of DSL as a technology. There are several restrictions to where they can (even if they want to) put dsl service and what speeds of service they can offer at some locations. Restrictions such as: how far (along the line) from your location your “central office” (the place where the servers and D-slams are not the place you pay your bill); if there are any fiber optic lines, pair gains, repeaters, ect; or if they own the lines on your street. If you are too far away from the central office (more than 18000 feet along the wire) they can’t even get you DSL service.

Some of these restrictions fall in the fundamentals of DSL technology. I have worked as a network tech for Verizon Online DSL and have a better than average understanding of the systems at place. If you (or Edgar) would like some more detailed explanation of some of the technology’s limitations then feel free to contact me and I would be happy to explain them.

P.S. Yes, your you legal sticklers out there, the UNEP act allows them to use competitor’s networks and wires to transmit DSL service, but they must rent the lines and because of the extra cost, most DSL providers will either not use those lines or not offer promotional rates if they must rent the lines.