AT&T DSL Only Option
October 15, 2007 · Print This Article
A while back, I noticed that AT&T is offering DSL without requiring phone service. This is sometimes referred to as “dry dsl” or “naked dsl”. For about $29 per month, you can get 3.0Mbps down and 512Kbps up high speed internet connection. This also gives you free internet service from AT&T’s wireless access points across the US. This service would normally cost $39 per month, so if you need it, this can work out to be a very good deal.
More recently, I found I could upgrade to the 6.0/768k internet service for about $34 per month. Personally, I wish they offered significantly faster upload speeds. I do a lot of online meetings where I share my screen and the lower speeds cause problems.
This “DSL without phone service” package is something fairly new. It sounds like they were forced to offer this as a condition of some merger. I know a lot of people who don’t have a normal land line telephone that have been stuck using a cable modem because the combined cost of a phone line plus DSL was greater than the cable modem charges. The new service offers these people some additional options.
If you can’t find it on their website, you may have to call and ask about it. They tend to downplay this option because they make a lot more money by selling you bundled services with phone, internet, and television for one price.
Where did you find the DSL only option? I looked on the website and couldn’t find it. Thanks
Hm. Maybe it isn’t available in every location. I went to http://www.att.com > Internet Tab > Check availability > Check by Address and then selected the internet only option.
You also might try calling them. I think you get a free modem if you do it online though.
This was a regulatory requirement of their acquisition of Bell South. Commonly referred to as Naked DSL.
However, it saves maybe $3-5 bucks a month over having a no-frills local access only phone line.
If the naked line is only 30-34, that would be a decent savings in the Eau Claire, WI area. We have a barebone landline w/6Mb DSL and pay 55 dollars. To go 3Mb would shave off another 4 dollars. Wow.
I’m all for “pure” DSL as Centurytel calls it.
@minnefornia – I like the idea of calling it pure DSL a bit better than naked DSL.