March 07, 2001, 4:53 PM — Surf the web up to 50 times faster! Always-on connection! Affordable monthly rates! Talk and go online simultaneously on the same phone line! The promises made by DSL providers sound irresistible to Internet users who still plod along at 56 kbps. The problem is, those promises are often a long time in coming.
Just ask Brad Grimes, a former PC World executive editor. When Grimes was setting up his new office as vice president of an editorial consulting firm in Brookline, Massachusetts, he knew that broad-band Internet access was essential--and he chose his existing ISP, EarthLink Inc. to provide the service. "I'd heard some bad things about Verizon Communications Inc.'s [the local phone company's] DSL service, and I'd had good luck with EarthLink as an ISP," says Grimes, "so it seemed like the way to go."
That simple decision set off a comedy of errors that won't seem funny to anyone who's suffered through a similar experience. I've received dozens of letters from disgruntled would-be DSL users, whose complaints range from installation delays to incompetent technicians to abysmal customer support. If there's a theme, it's the lack of communication among the various players on the DSL team. To see just how bad the repercussions of miscommunication can be, read the rest of Grimes' story. But don't abandon hope--I'll follow up with some tips on how to avoid DSL disaster.
The Calm Before The Storm
Things started out smoothly for Grimes. He received e-mail confirmation from both EarthLink and Covad Communications Co. (the DSL service provider contracted by EarthLink), and Verizon installed the new phone line to his office on schedule. The next step was for Covad to install the DSL modem and software. Thus began Grimes' personal descent into DSL hell.
Twice, Covad representatives failed to show for scheduled appointments. The first time the hapless technician was fruitlessly searching the streets for Grimes' address--unfortunately he was searching on Staten Island, New York, a good 250 miles and three states away.
Grimes thought he'd clarified matters, but incredibly the same mistake happened again--another Covad tech combed the streets of New York for Grimes' Massachusetts address. The two missed appointments delayed the installation by nearly two months.
And things didn't improve much after Covad did show up. The technician couldn't establish a working DSL connection. Finally, Grimes himself completed the installation.
But the DSL demons weren't done yet. Their next curse hit the modem supplied with the EarthLink service. "It just died, right in the middle of an EBay transaction," Grimes laments. Exasperated, Grimes demanded a new modem. EarthLink's response? You'll have to take it up with the modem manufacturer.
"I told [EarthLink] that that wasn't acceptable, and if they wouldn't fix the problem I'd cancel my DSL service contract," Grimes recalls. "After all, when the modem in my Dell PC goes south, Dell doesn't tell me to call the modem manufacturer." EarthLink eventually called Covad, which replaced the modem. Nearly six months after Grimes first ordered DSL, he's finally satisfied with the service.
Are problems like this unique to EarthLink and Covad? Hardly. The letters I receive and the posts at Web sites such as www.dslreports.com that rate broadband service reveal plenty of similar gripes about every DSL provider under the sun. EarthLink declined to comment specifically on Grimes' case. But a company spokesperson says the firm is working to improve the installation process. EarthLink also claims to have one of the highest customer satisfaction rates among broadband service providers, though that may be sort of like being the hippest kid at the Star Trek convention.
Grimes attributes the problems to all the different companies involved. "If I'd ordered from Verizon, I'd have had one company to deal with," he says. "When I got EarthLink, I ended up with EarthLink, Covad, and Verizon. It makes no sense."
Besides, the best customer support in the world won't do you much good unless your service provider is at the top of the DSL food chain--the position typically held by the local phone companies, which own the physical lines for DSL access. In fact, many consumers complain that local phone companies drag their feet when asked to install the wiring for ISPs and other DSL providers, especially if the local phone company itself offers DSL service.
