ADSL Frequently Asked Questions
ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber
Line) uses the existing phone line to deliver a broadband Internet connection.
Customers can enjoy a telephone conversation while using their high speed
internet connection at the same time without noticing an impact on either
service.
2. Why have you
set up an ADSL Demand Register?
The ADSL Demand Register has been
established to gauge actual customer demand for ADSL in exchange areas where it
is not yet available. The Register will assist us to deliver this high speed
internet technology to more users by determining the areas of greatest demand.
The ADSL Demand
Register allows people who are unable to obtain ADSL from their local exchange
to express their interest in ADSL with their chosen ADSL provider.
You can register interest for ADSL in
your area with your preferred ADSL Internet provider, as long as they use the
Telstra network and have agreed to participate in this initiative.
4. Does
registering my interest mean I have to order ADSL?
No. Registering your interest is not a
contractual obligation. Your chosen ISP will contact you to confirm your
registration once the required demand level is reached for your exchange. If
you are no longer interested in ADSL, you can tell your ISP at this time.
5. Will it help
if I lodge numerous expressions of interest for the same telephone number?
No, All
expressions of interest that relate to the same telephone number are only
counted once, regardless of how many times it is lodged.
6. Does a
Business line count as more than a Home line?
No - a business line and home line
will count the same.
7. I'd like to
cancel my expression of interest. How do I do this?
When you are contacted by your
preferred ADSL Internet provider to confirm your interest in ADSL once
registrations for your exchange reach the required level of Interest, you will
be able to cancel your expression of interest should you so choose.
8. How many
registrations does my exchange have?
You can check your exchange in the ADSL Demand Register to view the
current level of registered interest in your exchange. You do not need to know
the name of your exchange, just your telephone number.
9. How many
registrations does my exchange need?
The number will vary from exchange to exchange. In determining this
required interest level, a number of factors are taken into account including:
o
Population and economic growth rates
o
Cost of Transmission bandwidth from exchange to the Internet
o
Cost of Exchange building and power requirements
o
Cost of ADSL exchange equipment required
o
Availability of Existing infrastructure
o
Access network capability (ADSL line exclusions)
o
Service costs
10. What happens
once registrations of interest for my exchange reach the required level of
interest?
The required level of interest level
can only be met if people confirm their interest with their chosen ISP.
Once the required
level of interest is reached, customers who have registered their interest will
be contacted by the ISP they registered with to seek a confirmation of
interest. If sufficient confirmed registrations of interest are received, we
will begin the planning to enable your exchange with ADSL. Once a decision is
made to enable your exchange, your exchange should be enabled within three to
six months - however some exchanges may take longer due to unforseen
circumstances.
If sufficient
confirmed registrations are received via this process, an expected date for
ADSL enablement of your exchange will be posted in the comments field of the
register next to your exchange.
And if insufficient
confirmed interest is received for an exchange, this will also be noted in the
comments box next to your exchange.
For example, if 150
people register their interest for an exchange that has a required level of
interest of 150, but only ten people confirm their orders once they are
recontacted by their ISP, the exchange will not be enabled. The fact that
insufficient confirmed orders have been received will be noted in the comments
field next to the relevant exchange.
If however the number
of confirmed orders meets the required level of interest, the exchange will be
put in the priority list for enabling and an expected enablement date noted in
comments field of the register next to that exchange.
11. How soon,
and how, will I be contacted to submit a confirmed order?
The time taken to be
contacted will depend on the time it takes for the exchange to meet its
required level of interest.
12. What does
the comment 'TBA' mean when shown against an exchange?
TBA (To Be Advised) indicates that
Telstra has not yet examined in detail the requirements to enable that
particular exchange as undertaking this process for every exchange in
13. Can I get
high-speed Internet access another way?
There are some alternative high speed
Internet access methods available besides ADSL. You should discuss options with
your preferred ADSL Internet provider.
14. I can't get
ADSL even though it shows my exchange is enabled - can I still register?
Yes. Telstra will then look at your
registration to see if it can provide you with ADSL in another way - now or in
the future.
For example, where a
registration of interest is lodged against an exchange that is ADSL enabled, -
but the line is 'blocked' because of access line- electronics ("pair
gain" equipment) it will be assessed for either transposition across to a
copper line or the removal of the pair gains system to facilitate ADSL.
If this is not
available, or your line exceeds the ADSL distance limit, Telstra will keep a
record of the relevant registrations of interest, and these will be used as a
key input in the development of network plans, which will assess other economic
arrangements that can be used to provide ADSL. If your access network is upgraded
to ADSL capability, the provider you last registered with may contact you to
see if you are still interested in obtaining ADSL.