My experience in dealing ATT UVerse

U verse is a dsl upgrade that ATT is pushing onto its customers, to replace the old dsl.

What is the new dsl? Dunno, but it is five times the equipment weight and five time the equipment volume. It does TCP/IP and the analog POTs still work.

I was confused, I ignored their sales pitch, raised to fever with inducements. Eventually they talked me into getting the same service with five times the equipment in my basement, at the same price.

Has speeds improved? I doubt it, all the new connections around here come from the front of the street, and bring fiber to the curb. I am a exception, I have a 75 year old pots line running up the alley next to a house on the corner that burns regularly. I am the last guy using the alley, I though they wanted to dump the alley pole, evidently not.

I go out to the old copper two wire now and then to check it. I have 1/2 inch left to play with, if it ever breaks I am doomed. The neighbor tree branch bang on the line regularly. It is connected via two rusty 3/8 inch bolts from 40 years ago. From the alley, the line is a 40 year old copper thing that runs through the garage, makes about three unused connection, runs through the breezeway roof, descending into the basement. In the basement it runs around in circles, swings freely from the rafters, and makes another two or three unknown connections before arriving at my 13 pounds of ATT dsl.

Dunno what I gained, but I am not touching it, not making any more service requests.

What is really going on?

The local phone line managers are running a schedule of upgrades that is asynchronous with the Uverse upgrades from corporate. They don't talk, that's ok, but I think in a week or so the local guy will call me and tell me they are switching to a front street connection.