Way Out West, it used to be that getting 128Kb/s “clear channel” data over 2B+D ISDN was guaranteed to be good for 36,000 feet of barbed wire…and now the unswitched 144KB/s IDSL version is available, but at $104/month{!}. Within generally 18,000 feet, the local carrier will give guaranteed 384-128Kb/s ADSL. First, it was $39.00/mo., then $49.95/mo., then $29.95/mo. with an option now for $26.95/mo. for a 12-month agreement.
It’s easy to routinely get test speeds of 1Mb/s dn—200Kb/s up, but it originally took 7 months for them to get the ADSL loop running on a 15,105-ft pair. Residential ADSL is considered to be a “best effort” service, with no chiseled-in-stone guarantees of performance.
