Thursday, June 17, 2004
Qwest, The Sprit of NonService
If you live in the western US, it's likely that you have Qwest as your local phone service. If you do, you won't be surprised by what I'm about to tell you. I don't use Qwest.
I don't have a phone in my home. I haven't for almost two years and I haven't missed it. I only have a cell phone. All I've missed are calls from telemarketers.
For about a year, I've been noodling at running my web server at home. My service agreement with Comcast cable prohibits my running a server, so I called Qwest about DSL. Well, it seems they bundle their products in a number of ways, with local phone service or without local phone service, with MSN or without MSN. However, there is no way to get DSL service from Qwest without local phone service and without MSN. So I have three choices: 1) Get local phone service with Qwest. 2) Use MSN. 3) Don't get DSL as Qwest is the only company in Utah that provides residential DSL service.
Is this bundling legal? I have filed a complaint with the Utah Public Service Commission. Letters will be sent to my state legislators in the next day or so. Hopefully the recent US Supreme Court ruling on local phone companies opening their lines to competitors will cause a change.
Qwest's current ad campaign uses the slogan, "The Spirit of Service". How is this product bundling providing me with the service I want? For now, I am going with option three...no DSL. So, for the time being, my web hosting stays put.
I don't have a phone in my home. I haven't for almost two years and I haven't missed it. I only have a cell phone. All I've missed are calls from telemarketers.
For about a year, I've been noodling at running my web server at home. My service agreement with Comcast cable prohibits my running a server, so I called Qwest about DSL. Well, it seems they bundle their products in a number of ways, with local phone service or without local phone service, with MSN or without MSN. However, there is no way to get DSL service from Qwest without local phone service and without MSN. So I have three choices: 1) Get local phone service with Qwest. 2) Use MSN. 3) Don't get DSL as Qwest is the only company in Utah that provides residential DSL service.
Is this bundling legal? I have filed a complaint with the Utah Public Service Commission. Letters will be sent to my state legislators in the next day or so. Hopefully the recent US Supreme Court ruling on local phone companies opening their lines to competitors will cause a change.
Qwest's current ad campaign uses the slogan, "The Spirit of Service". How is this product bundling providing me with the service I want? For now, I am going with option three...no DSL. So, for the time being, my web hosting stays put.
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