HomeMy WebLinkAboutWS Item 01 - DSL Servicesw K ITEM # /
MEMO TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: ROGER NELSON, CITY MANAGER
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MEETING DATE: JULY 2, 2002
SUBJECT: WORKSHOP - DSL SERVICES IN GRAPEVINE
BACKGROUND:
The availability of DSL services in the Grapevine community has been a topic of
discussion over the past year. Specifically, concerns and questions have been raised
about the extent of service offered throughout the community, the marketing materials
distributed, and the number of residents who are using the service.
Last fall, the staff directed a letter to Verizon officials outlining the concerns about the
deployment of the service in Grapevine. Included for your review is the response the
staff received to those inquiries. During this discussion, Verizon officials will present
and overview of the DSL technology and will update the City Council on the service in
the community. Russ Overby, Verizon's Group Marketing Manager for DSL, will be the
primary spokesperson. Don Williams, Municipal Affairs Manager, Joe Beal, Regional
Manager - Customer Operations and Lynn Pierce, Section Manager - Network
Engineering will also be in attendance.
The staff invited Clarence West, of Winstead, Secrest & Minick, who is the city's
telecommunications consultant, to be available to answer any regulatory or legal
questions that may be raised during the discussion.
MYL
June 26, 2002 (4:22PM)
972 719 7949
FRO!,f GTE REG. LIT, SUPPORT
Donald E. Williams
Manap(-Municipal Affairs
December 6, 2001
Ms. Melisa Leal
Assistant to the City Manager
City of Grapevine
P. O. Box 95104
Grapevine, TX 76099
Subject: DSL Service in Grapevine
Dear Mel:
(THU) 12, 6'01 13: 53/ST. 13:52/NO. 4261813775 P 2
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600 Hidden Ridge
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Phone 972 718-6129 or
1 888 483 2786
Fax 972 719-7948
This is in response to your letter dated November 7, 2001 concerning Verizon's
provisioning and marketing of DSL service within the City of Grapevine. I apologize for
the delay in this response, but wanted to have input from Russ Overby, Verizon's Group
Marketing Manager for DSL Service, who lives in Verizon's Grapevine exchange area.
Specifically, we will address each of your questions individually.
1. Does Verizon plan to pro i vide DSL service throughout Grapevine?
Verizon has been providing DSL to the Grapevine community since
November 1998. Grapevine was one of the first locations within the state of
Texas, and within the former GTE areas nationwide to have DSL service,
2. Can you provide a time line on how that service will be launched in our
residential areas?
As mentioned above, Verizon has been providing DSL services since
November 1998, Verizon has approximately 2,700 customers in the"
Grapevine community who have subscribed to the DSLservice. In addition,
Verizon currently has sufficient DSL equipment available to service an
additional 1,700 Grapevine customers. 'Approximately 92% of the DSL
service in Grapevine is being subscribed by residential customers. The
other 8% of the DSL service is provided to business customers.
972 719 7948
FROM GTE REG. LIT. SUPPORT
City of Grapevine, Dccember 6, 2001
Page 2
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3. What areas in Grapevine can currently subscribe to the service?
Verizon currently has DSL equipment installed in the Grapevine -
Mainjimberline and Woodland Hills Central Office locations. In addition,
DSL is installed in a Remote Terminal location near Southlake on Keller
Pearson Road. In a general sense, end users served by Verizon voice
services out of these locations should generally be able to order DSL
services depending if their local copper loop can be qualified for this
service. DSL service is dependent upon having both DSL equipment
available in the area, and the customer having copper loop facilities
between their location and the DSL equipment location that meets both
distance and service limitations. Approximately 72% of all of the copper
loop facilities within Grapevine are capable of supporting DSL services
based upon current technology and deployed equipment. The amount of
lines qualified to support DSL services are being increased each day as
additional investment is made to support this service.
4. Are there specific areas of the community that will not ever be able to scribe to
the service based on technical restraints?
In general, there are no specific areas of Grapevine that cannot be provided
with DSL services. Th6r6 are current technical restraints that limit the ability
of the copper loop serving some customers from being able to support DSL
services. These restraints would include: (a) excessive loop length (greater
than 16,200 cable feet), (b) interferers with DSL services in adjacent feeder
cable pair, (c) load coils/bridge taps on cable pair, (d) excessive 26 gauge
cable in loop, (e) end users with voice services provided on Digital Loop
Carrier systems and pair gain devices, (f) existing voice service type not
compatible with DSL (i.e. ISDN, PBX trunks, Centrex lines, rotary hunt
groups, etc.), and (g) condition of the existing copper loop. Verizon is
working to reduce these restrictions by looking at new technologies for
longer loop reach, making additional investment in remote capable DSL
equipment, ordering of loop re-grooming/rearrangement services, and
making ordering/provisioning system enhancements to qualify mare loops.
5. Is it common practice to distribute marketing plecei in a -widespread area even
though the entire area will not qualify for the advertised services for an extended
period of time?
No. Generaliv, Verizon tries to target its marketing pieces to those
customers whose local loop wlii support DSL services. These marketing
campaigns are developed based upon availability cDSL equipment in an
area, and the d,:-:-,,,eio,orrent of loop rquaiified customer lists. Unfortunately,
972 719 7949
FROM GTE REG. LIT. SUPPORT ,
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City of Grapevine, December 6, 2001
41D Page 3
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there may be some customers who will receive the marketing pieces that,
for the technical reasons listed above, may not qualify. If the City will
provide us information as to the widespread situation, we will certainly
investigate as that is not Verizon's policy.
The only advertising campaigns that might reach customers who do not
qualify for DSL service are those associated with print ads in newspapers,
radio ads and television ads. The nature of those advertising medias
makes it difficult to only target qualified customers. These messages
should carry a comment such as "where available"
Verizon is committed to providing DSL services to as many of its customers as quickly as
possible within the Grapevine area. There is capacity existing today to provide DSL to
interested customers within this serving area. Verizon will continue to make investment in
processes and equipment to expand our DSL capability within the City of Grapevine.
Mel, as I mentioned earlier, Verizon representatives are more than willing to come meet
with the Staff to further clarify our responses or respond to specific concerns of the City.
Sincerely,
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