[NTLUG:Discuss] NO MORE SPRINT ION??

[Wes Mills]

Broadband has been failing for a few reasons:

- Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) have had a hard time
getting the existing carriers (ILECs) to cooperate with them in leasing
lines and getting wires worked on.  Not to mention the headaches in
getting access, plus the high cost of entry.

- CLECs also, by many estimates, tried to ramp up too quickly.  They
spent a lot of money up front, then had difficulties or lack of interest
in their service.  Also consider that DSL is distance-limited, so it
artifically limited their market.

- Cable companies have been plagued by installation problems and a slow
roll-out of service.  They, along with DSL carriers, oversubscribe their
service, sometimes to the point of providing poor service for all.

- Sprint ION had a revolutionary product, but the price tag was too high
for most people to buy into, regardless of how great the service is/was.
Remember that many people gladly pay $19.95/month for dial-up service
and are perfectly happy with it ($21.95 for AOL).  Numbers like 8mbps
down/1mbps up make us drool, but an average consumer says "so what?
It's $100/month to start, I don't want that."

What will happen?  You will likely be told to transition to someone
else.  For phone service, I imagine number portability will be your only
savior, but I wish you luck dealing with Bell or Verizon to get moved
back.  Service contracts are great, but if someone declares bankruptcy,
you're out of luck unless you get something through the bankruptcy
process.  In Sprint ION's case, since they didn't file bankruptcy, you
may be entitled to renumeration, but I have no clue what it would be.
Your contract should tell you.

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Geoffrion [mailto:ntlug at rain.lewisville.tx.us] 
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2001 11:57 PM
To: discuss at ntlug.org
Subject: [NTLUG:Discuss] NO MORE SPRINT ION??


> ...Sprint is killing ION and disconnecting the network.

Can they do that?  That seems pretty harsh to me.  What is up with high
speed internet access?  Why are so many companies failing? Rythums,
Northpoint, Covad....Sprint, AT&T.  What's going on and why?

I've heard rumors that AT&T wants to shutdown/sell/(or otherwise get rid
of)
their broadband services.   So what happens to  digital phone
subscribers
when AT&T bails?  What happens to Sprint ION customers when they no
longer have phone service?

What about 1 year (or more) service contracts!  Shouldn't they work both
ways!?!

Something is just TOO wierd.