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DSL availability is growing all the time.
Dynamic DSL Terms and Conditions
Information on this page is applicable only to Dynamic DSL and Castles Advantage DSL packages.
Commercial DSL has extensive contract language and will be provided upon prequalification.
DSL Qualification
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service requires a high-quality local loop, with minimal interference. Copper wiring has been added to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) since 1875, which means the quality of local loops across the PSTN varies. Even if a DSL provider says your premises are within the distance range for DSL service, you won't know whether you can get DSL service until your local loop is qualified.
Loop qualification is the process used to determine whether a specific copper pair (e.g. your phone line) will support DSL. The process starts with a DSL screening, in which you provide your 10-digit telephone number for the location where you want DSL service. (COs have their own addresses - the first six digits of your telephone number, which are the area code and exchange office code.) Typically, this process verifies whether your Central Office (CO) has a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) installed. Adding the specific address of the premises where you want to install DSL service defines the approximate loop length between your premises and the CO. If the loop length is 17,500 feet or less, you'll be told that DSL is available in your area. The capability to deliver DSL, however, can ultimately only be determined by an on-site testing of the local loop at your premises.
A variety of factors go into determining whether a local loop can support DSL, including the following:
* DSLAM used at the CO. Different DSLAMs supporting different DSL flavors have different capabilities.
* Local loop wires. Many are 24 or 26 American Wire Gauge (AWG). The AWG measures the thickness of the copper wiring. The thicker the wire, the less resistance it has for signals traveling over it. The thicker the copper wiring, the longer the distance that DSL service can be delivered.
* Whether loading coils have been placed on the loop to improve voice quality on longer loops. A loading coil is a metallic, doughnut-shaped device used to extend the reach of a local loop beyond 18,000 feet for Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). Unfortunately, loading coils wreak havoc on DSL. If the local loop has any loading coils, they must be removed to use DSL.
* Whether a bridge tap has been added to the local loop. A bridge tap is an extension to a local loop generally used to attach a remote user to a central office without having to run a new pair of wires all the way back. Bridge taps branch off the main line. Bridge taps are fine for POTS but severely limit the speed of DSL service.
* Spectrum incompatibility in a binder bundle. The packaging of many copper wire pairs into a binder bundle has implications for the delivery of certain types of DSL service due to spectral interference (also called crosstalk), which happens when neighboring lines are corrupting each other.
DSL Distance
The distance between your premises and the CO plays a critical role in determining whether DSL service can be delivered to you and at what speeds it can be delivered. Because of the physics of high-speed data communications, DSL service is distance sensitive. The maximum length of a local loop varies, depending on the DSL flavor.
Most DSL technologies have a distance between 12,000 to 18,000 feet. By most estimates, 60 to 70 percent of United States population live close enough to take advantage of the more popular DSL technologies. Of public switched networks, 20 percent can't handle DSL until the telephone companies remove devices that extend the distance that a signal can travel. Another large segment of the population supported by Digital Loop Carriers (DLCs) is also currently outside the loop in getting DSL service.
Remote Terminals have been deployed in many areas of California to extend the availability of DSL even further.
DSL Term Commitment
Effective 1/1/09 all Castles DSL contracts are Month-to-month.
Castles provisions service over AT&T ASI lines and local dial tone must be provided by AT&T (powered on the SBC side). Service provisioning is up to the MPOE (main point of entry) into a home or office. Service is provisioned to the MPOE only. The customer is responsible for all issues beyond the point of entry. Issues beyond the MPOE is not a part of the contract for DSL services with Castles.
Often a non-sync condition will exist on the DSL modem after the activation date. This may be caused by a number of issues including poor inside wiring, alarm systems, etc. Castles will work with customers to resolve internal issues but the resolution of the problem is the customer's sole responsibility. An early termination fee is assessed if the customer contracts for DSL service with Castles and subsequently cancels service for any reason.
Switching
A Switch is when you move your DSL service from one provider to another. DSL service is provided over dedicated networks from your home or office, through a DSLAM switch located within a Central Office (CO) of the local telephone company and then to our ATM switch which pushes you out to the Internet. Castles contracts with AT&T ASI for local circuits for all Advantage DSL services. Therefore you must have SBC local dial tone to have Castles Advantage DSL service. If you have the old AT&T dialtone or any other service, you must first switch to the new AT&T (SBC) for dial tone before we can provide Advantage DSL. There is usually a cost for this change. Contact AT&T for details.
If you are currently an SBC or other provider DSL customer, you can switch to Castles Advantage DSL. Your existing service is routed into a DSLAM switch in the CO and may or may not be on the same switch as a Castles circuit. If it is on the same swicth, a work order is issued to make a simple switch during the night and you should experience no interruption in service. However, if your existing service is not on the same switch, a work order must be issued to AT&T to rewire the circuit to the Castles switch. Unforrunately we have no way of knowing what switch your service is on until the service is changed. Service disruption could be 30 minutes at 2AM or it could be as long as 4 days.
Castles is charged a switching fee by AT&T ASI. Castles absorbs that switching fee.
Technical Support
The function of the Castles technical support staff is to assist customers with initial connection, Internet browser and email account setup. Support is only available for computers running recent versions of Macintosh or Windows operating systems. Castles does not offer over-the-phone tech support for issues such as cgi programming, Linux use, your web site, or any other issue not directly related to your dialing software or to the basic functions of your web browser and email program. While at its discretion the support staff may sometimes assist our customers with non-connectivity or non-email issues, any such extra service is strictly 'added value' service and provision of such service does not obligate Castles to continue to provide such service.
Castles will use its best efforts to provide all services to get your computer connected to the Internet but can not be held responsible for hardware or software malfunctions or assist in servicing or repairing your equipment. In such cases, the office staff will gladly refer you to outside sources for assistance. Customers should have a copy of their current operating system available when calling technical support; there will be limits to the amount of assistance that technical support representatives can offer if you do not have a copy of your current operating system. Castles reserves the right to cease providing over-the-phone technical support to any customer.
Promotional Terms
All Castles accounts are subject to the Castles AUP. Use of Castles service indicates acceptance of these terms. By ordering DSL service, you also agree to be bound by the following terms and conditions:
This service is only available on lines with AT&T phone service. Castles will verify your AT&T phone service type after the installation. Customers found to have AT&T business phone service will be charged business DSL rates. Applicable fees will be charged to this account in the event of early termination. Any applicable taxes, telecommunications surcharges or other governmental charges are the customer's sole responsibility. A Federal Universal Service Recovery Fee will be applied to all new circuits. Customer must maintain AT&T telephone service in continuous working order in order to maintain DSL circuit. Any action taken by the customer resulting in telephone service being disconnected or moved will result in loss of DSL service. Customer remains bound by the one-year term in all such cases, and early termination fees still apply. Introductory pricing applies only to this service level. Any change to service level or any service disconnection or move voids the introductory rate and pricing immediately reverts to normal. Any collections actions taken on delinquent accounts will appear on customer's credit rating. You must be over 18 years of age to order DSL service.
Actual data transfer rates may vary as measured between NIC at customer's location and the DSL-equipped Central Office or Remote Terminal, dependant upon several factors including line quality and loop length. Minimum service speeds are subject to 10%-20% protocol overhead. Actual transfer rates above 80% of the listed minimum transfer rate will be considered acceptable. Castles makes no guarantees regarding the availability of DSL until service is established.
Castles will not be responsible for outages that it is not notified about by the customer. Customer must be available for troubleshooting and connection setup. Customer has sole responsibility for any local network infrastructure at the installation premises.
Circuit will be assigned a single IP dynamically via DHCP. No special software is typically required.
