The pitfalls of high-speed installs

Consumers who use both cable modems and digital subscriber lines (DSL), the two leading methods of high-speed Internet access, say the installation process is rife with poor service, difficult appointments, computer problems, and tedious troubleshooting.

Even as cable companies such as AT&T continue to fight over the issue of so-called open access to its broadband networks, consumer complaints could dampen even the most exciting promises for high-speed Net service.

"I was literally on hold for at least an hour. I called four times. It was a total nightmare," said Ivan Garcia, a San Francisco resident and a Pacific Bell DSL customer. "You've got to expect some problems like this. And [companies] are not going to be as proactive as you would like."

Despite such troubles, however, most say they would never go back to relatively sluggish dial-up connections after surfing the Net over a cable or DSL lines.

All of this underscores the dilemma facing broadband network operators today: How can they inspire market demand while attempting to methodically build out their high-speed capacity? The answer will go a long way toward alleviating installation problems that are all too common--and could separate the successful players from fly-by-night operators.

Although the demand for services far exceeds the pipes available, the market will soon be flooded with new firms touting broadband services. If one company promises service within two weeks while another offers the same within two days, the choice for consumers won't be too tough.

In the meantime, don't expect installation problems to disappear overnight.

"I think you'll have great stories and bad stories, and you'll have them for years," said Charles Carr, a senior analyst at Dataquest. "And it's really both DSL and cable modems. I don't think it's going to change."

Where the trouble is
Often the worst headache in the broadband experience is dealing with the phone firm's or cable concern's customer service representative.

Many people have complained of speaking to poorly trained customer service representatives who don't know much about the high-speed services their company offers. Training phone and cable company staff to handle difficult Internet-related questions, as opposed to more common billing inquiries, has been inconsistent, analysts say.

Pacific Bell, for instance, received thousands of calls a day across California after it announced lower prices for its residential DSL service, according to an executive technician. The firm hadn't yet finalized service details, such as when DSL would be introduced in certain areas, and may have lost many potential customers as a result.

Excite@Home cable modem users in Fremont, California, are pushing the city for an Internet bill of rights. The lobbying effort follows complaints over extended phone hold times and other problems with AT&T's cable unit.

Industry experts say small businesses and mass-market consumers, many of whom still struggle with programming their VCRs, will not tolerate problematic installations and poor customer service.

"It's worth the service, and it's a good price, but the standard lay person is going to be scared off," Garcia said.

Of course, many early broadband subscribers have had their high-speed connections hooked up without incident.

"It was relatively painless," said Mike Brandsma, a cable modem service subscriber in Athens, Georgia. "The cable guy came out and installed the line and about ten minutes, after he was done a software guy came out, installed the Ethernet card, and the modem, and configured the software. It probably took an hour."

Making it easier
The installation process is expected to improve with standardized modems that will allow a customer to buy and install the technology themselves. Many companies believe that they can speed the process and save money by not having to send a technician to a home or office.

So far, ten cable modem vendors have been certified as Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS)-compliant by the cable industry's research arm. The DOCSIS standard is expected to smooth cable modem installs.

For its part, Excite@Home, the largest domestic Net-over-cable service, recently released an upgraded version of its software that aims to ease installation.

Separately, a final consumer DSL standard known as G.lite was approved in June. Like cable's DOCSIS, it is intended to allow consumers to hook up their own equipment. But analysts say it may be years before a majority of consumers and businesses will feel comfortable installing their modems.

"G.lite we think is important, and we're supporting it," said Catherine Hapka, chief executive of DSL start-up Rhythms NetConnections. "We should just, as an industry, be careful of positioning it as a panacea."

Even after standard modems are widely available, some analysts believe that newer computer users will not tolerate some of the glitches that have beset many of their predecessors.

"I still think that you're going to have people with varying degrees of technical understanding," said Michele Pelino, an analyst at market research firm The Yankee Group. "If they've seen their neighbor's [service], then going through some of the hassles is worth it because they've seen the benefits.

"But if they're not sure what they're buying, and they have problems installing it, it's hard to see why [they would] have to wait two or three weeks and put up with maybe two house calls." 

Go to: FCC: Walking the regulatory tightrope