Microsoft offering xDSL access

Fri Jan 23 19:12:40 UTC 1998

Geoff White wrote:

> Well my understanding here in PacBell/SBC land is that the way it will
> work, (this comes from someone who made a naieve inquiry to another
> equally naieve saleperson at PacBell/SBC), is that you need to connect to
> PacBell's ATM backbone in order to order xDSL (the person just wanted to
> connect from their home to the office), when I heard this I though it was
> totally absurd but the truth, as they say is far stranger :)

Why is this absurd? You think coolocating routers at COs is less absurd?
Aggregating DSL traffic in a DSLAM and pumping it out via ATM is the
right way to do things.

(If I totally misunderstood and you are saying that using *ATM* is absurd, then
don't bother to reply. I'm an atheist.)

> What the salesguy was saying but (he really didn't know it) and what I
> found out from a little digging is that PacBell's intent is to only sell
> xDSl to CLECs ! So then it all makes sense, you need a router that
> connects to their ATM cloud, then they just route the traffic from their
> copper on over to your routers and presto! You are an xDSL enabled ISP!

This is crap. Covad, Brainstorm, DNAI, etc. are CLECs?! I don't think so. Yet
they seem to be able to offer xDSL using P*B.