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I signed up for Pro DSL with SBC (who bought AT&T) back in July of 2005.  I noticed speed problems from the get go.  Particularly from 5pm to 10:30PM at night.  The speed would slow down to an excruciating 386 or 600 Kbps.  I should have been getting 2.5 Mbps.

I called and had numerous trouble tickets opened. Yet SBC said they could find no reasonable problem for the slowdown. They assumed it was my computer, firewall, virus program, etc. 

Time went on and I told them that I would withhold payment for DSL until they could find a remedy or downgrade me to a cheaper version of DSL (since I was getting the lower speed anyway.)
SBC was belligerent and threatened to cut off my service.

Well after months of going back and forth, without resolution....I called and demanded a full investigation.  I told them to send out a technician and check the lines from my location back to their routers in the Central Switching office.

The tech came out last week and sat at my computer. He was perplexed. He made one phone call and spoke to a tech in charge of the CSO.  They told him two words, "exhausted router."   The tech turned to me and said there is nothing that can be done.  Too many people have been connected to their routers, it causes a slowdown when everyone is on it.

I was shocked and angry.  I have been paying a premium price for a service that SBC knew was shoddy and not up-to-speed.  How many more customers have been swindled? How much money has been stolen from unsuspecting consumers? 

I ask all SBC and AT&T users to check their speed, do it frequently.  If you are on an exhausted router, you have rights and recourse.  The California Public Utilities Commission has been notified.  Someone should file a class-action.
This is what happens when greedy corporations are more concerned about illegal gain than actually providing superior service.

Actually, if you read the terms of service for any internet service you will find that you signed away your rights.  By installing the DSL you agreed to have no given speed basically.  Yes, you are paying for the higher speed, but in your TOS, you will see that you have been notified that there is no speed guarantee and you can't do anything to make them get you that speed.  However, yes, you should be able to downgrade your price, but you will find that means a new 2 year or 1 year, or whatever year agreement they are offering there.  Only way around such things is to not use home internet at all.  Ever Dial up has no real guaranteed speed over 2400 baud in most places.  It's very sad indeed, but every company does it.  On the plus side, despite what you may have been told, it will be fixed at some point.  As to when they will upgrade equipment in the CO, no way to know.  The CO wont even know till they get the order to do it from someone somewhere.  It does suck greatly.

Application                     Pro             Express         Dial up
2 hour movie (550 MB) About 25 minutes 52 minutes 23hours!
digital picture      (1MB) About 3 seconds About 6 seconds About 2.5minutes
1 song( 4MB)       About 11 seconds   About 22 seconds    About 10 minutes


This is on the AT&T website. No disclaimers, nothing.

I thought my dsl was bad. I know now that it is great. alltel dsl

for me i have never gove below 2.0 even in the summer on july 2nd when i knew half the kids in my neighberhood were tuning in to live 8 brodcast

But im in austin their secound hometown and the most wired place in america

After my rant yesterday, I researched the problem further. Of course others have experienced the problem as well. SBC has been selling a "Pro" package of 1.5 to 3.0 Mbps download.  They apparently have oversold the product, since their Redback routers in Irvine are now "exhausted" or overloaded.   The Express customers, who are guaranteed 768Kbps to 1.5Mbps are getting about 1.2Mbps.

I requested and received a refund for the difference between a Pro and an Express package. Though I have a pending request to be relieved of the one year contract, since they did not provide the 1.5 to 3.0 Mbps download.

The saga continues....


BTW the ass picture is Lindsay Lohan.

Just upgraded from Express to Plus. Uh oh. I guess I'll see if there is a difference soon enough. Express delivers as you said [actually a bit more at 1.33] of course not 1.5 Mbps advertised. Hoping the Plus comes in about double my Express rate, around 2.5 Mbps or I will definitely find it hard to trust AT&T.

And rare Lohan ass-pics are always worthy of random posts - Appreciated.  ;)

Welcome to the forum OAKside 
Best of luck with you speeds.