[NTLUG:Discuss] Which dsl isps will survive?

[Lance Simmons]

Since others on this list are soon to be Directlink refugees, some of you
might be interested in what I've found so far. Right now, I'm a residential
customer of Directlink, with Bronze Plus, 2 ips and no usage limits. The list
of Verizon's participating isp's is at

 http://www.gte.com/dsl/partisp.html#TX, 

but not all the isp's on that list can service my line (in Irving). Here's
what I've found about some of them, skewed toward my own interest in having a
replacement for my current Directlink service. 

Applink.net: Bronze plus is $25/mo., static ip is $10/mo. Will they be around in
2 years? Guy I talked to on the phone seems competent.  Does anyone have any
more information about them?

August.net: Rates seem to be based directly on usage. 3gig=$23, 6gig=$33,
12gig=$53, 18gig=$73, 24gig=$93. Having to make an effort to keep under a
monthly limit seems scary to me.

Connect.net website is unavailable.

CyberRamp became Fastlane became Firstworld; website is hard to navigate, has
broken links... I'm not sure if they provide service to my area any more.

Internet America: Bronze plus is $30/mo., static ip is $10/mo. Are they
oversubscribed? Guy I spoke to didn't seem to know much--how is their
support? Will they be around in a few years, or have they overextended
themselves?

Internet global: website is gone.

Nationwide.com: Bronze plus is $20/mo, but the website has few details and
when I called for details I kept getting cut off. Not sure there was ever a
live person at the other end.

NetIn: unix-focused, Bronze plus is $37/mo, $3/mo for static ip. They monitor
bandwidth closely, and if you keep going over your committed information
rate, they'll make you move to a higher rateplan. (Bronze plus's CIR of
10kbps adds up to something like 3-4gigs/mo.) Next highest CIR is 32kbps,
over 9gigs/mo., I guess, for $47/mo. I'm not that clear on the whole CIR
concept. Their market is primarily servers, and they won't let you connect a
Windows box directly to the network. (!)

Nova: bronze plus with one static ip is $18/mo. An 8ip subnet is $45/mo. No
mail or web servers for either kind of service. Not sure what that
restriction means in practice.

Online Today: confusing web page and pricing structure. $40/mo for what seems
like Bronze plus equivalent, 5.5gig/day limit, 5 static ips. Anyone know
anything about them?

SWS Technologies: $50/mo., $150 setup fee, 1 static ip., not much info on
their web pages.

Texas Metronet: Bronze plus: $240/mo. month to month, $192/mo. annual. They
emphasize that they are not oversubscribed! Hard to believe that's really
what they charge. Anyone know anything about them?

TopherNet website redirects to verixtech.com's incompetently designed site,
where they have plain links that go to .pdfs unannounced and then stop
working altogether. Not sure they can serve my line, or what their price
structure is. Frustrating.

Verizon: because I ordered my line through directlink, I'd have to first
cancel it and reorder a new line through Verizon in order to switch to their
isp. They predicted 4 weeks without dsl, plus no static ips for residential
customers.

Waymark.net: Verizon said on the phone that they can't give me service
because of where I live. Their website doesn't inspire confidence.

WCTI: do they even provide DSL? So far as I can tell, not to residential
customers.

None of these strikes me as very attractive options, and some of theme seem
to have already gone under themselves. (The Verizon rep. I talked to still
had Directlink on her list!) Apparently providing DSL internet service isn't
a winning proposition right now, so I wonder how many of these companies will
still be around in another year or two. I really don't want to get burned
again.

Good luck to everyone who's suddenly in the market for DSL again. 

Lance Simmons