Naked DSL, or DSL service without the requirement of purchasing a phone line, is a hot topic, particularly among incumbent telephone companies. For some companies, the idea of naked DSL is heresy – a sure fire way to accelerate the irrelevancy of a local phone company. For others, it’s a hard pill to swallow, but a growing market segment demands it, so they find ways to offer it. While others don’t understand what the fuss is all about. Your perception boils down to your dependency on local loops for revenue.
Even large incumbents – Verizon, AT&T, and Qwest – are for, or against the concept, depending on the day. BroadbandReports.com reveals that Verizon is now offering a naked DSL promotion, providing 1 Mbps service for $19.99/month, without the requirement for a phone line. The promotion requires a one year agreement.
This move is sure to fuel the debate. Some carriers are simply not positioned to offer a naked DSL product – at least not without losing significant dollars every month. The NECA tariffs make such a move unpalatable. Even with that, there are some companies doing it, and eating the losses. The thinking being, I’m going to lose this customer if I don’t offer it – I might as well offer it until such time the regulatory regime catches up to the marketplace reality.
What do you think? What’s the reality and implications of naked DSL? Use the comments tool below to offer your opinion.
