[wplug] Verizon DSL service downgrade

[Mike Sussman]

Thank you, Michael, for the 768Kbits vs KB comment.  I just looked at
the ad, and, indeed they are advertising 768Kb/sec. My previous service
was (I thought) for the same 768K(something) and I regularly got in the
170-s, so I figured it had to be 768KB/sec.

Now I wonder about the service that was available last year.  Does
anyone remember what kind of service they were offering last year for
between $25 and $30?  I am absolutely certain of my 170KB/s number
(reported by ssh and also by whatever download program used by Ubuntu
update and also Synaptic package manager).

> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2006 13:20:31 -0400
> From: Michael Semcheski <lists at immuneit.com>
> Subject: Re: [wplug] Verizon DSL service downgrade
> To: General user list <wplug at wplug.org>
> Message-ID: <448C50DF.7090200 at immuneit.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
> 
> Hey Mike,
> 
> I think one thing that may trip you up is that Verizon offers 768
> kilo-bits per (Kb per/sec) second downloads for $15/month.  Thats not
> the same as 768 kilo bytes (KB per/sec).
> 
> Remember 8 bits in a byte and all.  So, they may have reined your
> download speeds in, but if you're getting 90KB downloads, then you're
> getting what you paid for.  (90 * 8 = 720, add 10% for TCP overhead.) 
> 
> Something else in your message reminded me of an experience I had with
> Comcast.  I canceled my basic cable service (~$50/month) in March.  When
> I called and they asked why I was canceling, I said it was because Dish
> and DirecTV were cheaper.  (I had no intention of signing up for
> satellite service, though.)  Immediately, the Comcast rep offered me
> service for $30/month for the next 6 months.  Sort of like with Verizon,
> they offered you the same service at a "new" price.  Like "Would you
> like to pay $30 or $15 per month for this service?"  "Hmm, let me
> consult my accountant and get back to you."
> 
> Mike
> 
> 
> Mike Sussman wrote:
> > Wpluggers, I wonder if anyone else has observed this downgrade.
> >
> > I have been a Verizon DSL customer for several years, always with the
> >  consumer-grade service (max download about 768KB/sec).  I have never
> >  observed download speeds greater than about 250KB/sec, but I
> > consistently used to see speeds of about 175 doing my Ubuntu system
> > upgrades.
> >
> > Recently, my service agreement expired and I took advantage of the
> > reduced price for the "same" level of service.  (The salesperson told
> > me that I could either get the higher level of service for the
> > $30/month I had been paying or get the same level of service for
> > $15/month.  I chose the cheaper alternative.)  Within days of that
> > telephone call, my Ubuntu system upbrades dropped to about 95KB/sec.
> > About half the speed.
> >
> > So it seems that Verizon deliberately downgraded my service when it
> > reduced my price, despite its advertisement.
> >
> > Has anyone else had experience with the new Verizon pricing
> > structure?
> 

-- 
Mike Sussman
msussman at na-net.ornl.gov