Naked DSL

A naked DSL (a.k.a. standalone or dry loop DSL) is a digital subscriber line (DSL) without a PSTN (analogue telephony) service — or the associated dial tone. In other words, only a standalone DSL Internet service is provided on the local loop.

Comparison of regular and naked DSL

In regular DSL, a cable runs from the telephone switch to a piece of equipment called a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) splitter. This splitter separates the DSL and voice bands. Thus the customer will have a dial tone, which allows them to use the telephone line as a regular land line while they are using it to access the Internet on their computer. A cable carrying both services runs from the splitter to the cable head, where it continues on to the customer on outside plant. (See DSLAM.)

In naked DSL, there is no cable from the telephone switch to the POTS splitter. Thus there is no dial tone on the line. However, the customer could still use the line for regular telephone service through Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) instead of the Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC).

Naked ADSL2 and ADSL2+ provisioned with "all digital mode" Annex I or Annex J can achieve additional 256 kbit/s of upstream data rate.

Availability

Naked DSL is available in several countries, if not nationwide then via at least one company: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States.^[1]

Australia

Amnet was the first ISP in Australia to officially launch a naked DSL product live on 14 November 2007, followed by iiNet a day later. Exetel released naked ADSL2 Services on 1 December 2007. Optus, Australia's second largest telecommunications provider, announced on 2/3/09 that it will also be providing naked DSL services. Other providers include offer Naked DSL are listed at Updated List of Naked DSL ISPs that service Australia.

Many of the smaller players use Optus to deliver their Naked DSL services.

Canada

Since the CRTC ruling of 21 July 2003,^[2] it should be theoretically possible to have Naked DSL and some companies do provide this service. There is not yet widespread adoption, due largely to a lack of consumer awareness, but some listings such as Canadian ISP^[3] exist to help consumers find a service available to them. Naked ADSL is currently provided by Primus, Distributel Communications, Acanac Inc., TekSavvy Solutions and ElectronicBox , VIF Internet in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, Internet Lightspeed's NAKED ADSL and Telus Communications in the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, and SaskTel in Saskatchewan. Bell Canada charges an additional fee for dryloop based on the Band Rate of the area (ranging from Band A=$7.25 to Band G=$25.10) to consumers and smaller ISP's who rent Bell's phone line.

Denmark

Naked DSL is available from the majority of ISPs, as most ISPs have now converted to VoIP solutions. Having 2 different providers for both POTS and DSL is possible.

France

Several ISPs now offer Naked Unbundled DSL services, which are also called offres dégroupées. ISPs generally supply their own DSL modem with an FXS (Foreign exchange station) port for a standard phone handset and a set top box to provide television services.

The first ISP to offer Naked DSL was Free with their Freebox.^{[citation needed]}

Germany

At least one ISP offers Naked DSL service: M-Net and its version, Maxi Pur.^[4]

New Zealand

Naked DSL service in New Zealand is provided by All Talk, Kiwilink, Orcon, Slingshot, Snap, WorldNet, Maxnet, WorldxChange and now Vodafone. Although Orcon currently only offer the service in Auckland and Wellington. Other ISPs may offer Naked DSL. It is possible to get the POTS and DSL from different service providers. Telecom New Zealand is the backbone provider for most DSL and POTS services and the majority of ISPs use Telecom's copper local loop to access customers. Telecom failed at launching its own Naked DSL service planned for 2008.

Philippines

Bayan Telecommunications, Globe Telecom, EASTERN Communications, and Smart Telecommunications offers that service.

Portugal

Portugal Telecom offers that service, called Naked, since September 2008 through SAPO (company).

Simplesnet offers that service, called NDSL Simplesnet.

In May 2008, Zon TvCabo announced to its investors that it will offer Portugal's first Naked DSL service.^{[citation needed]}

Switzerland

Naked DSL service is available in Switzerland from green.ch, origon ag (oDSL) and SETUP Informatik for ADSL and VDSL.

United Kingdom

Naked DSL service, excluding SDSL, is not available in the United Kingdom, but it is possible to get a POTS and DSL from different service providers.^{[citation needed]}. The incumbent network, BT, has claimed there is not sufficient demand from ISPs to provide a Naked DSL service.^[5][6] Virgin Media provides broadband services without the requirement for a telephone line in cabled areas only, but this is not naked DSL as the service is provided via a coaxial cable from the street, rather that over a telephone line, active or otherwise.

United States

On March 25, 2005, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruled 3-2 against utilities commissions in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and Louisiana, which wanted to force BellSouth to unbundle their DSL service from their local phone service.^[7][8] However, in that proceeding, as a compromise between the FCC Commissioners, the FCC released a Notice of Inquiry requesting comment on the "competitive consequences when providers bundle their legacy services with new services, or "tie" such services together"; that proceeding remains open before the FCC.^[9] Later that year, during merger proceedings, the FCC required Verizon and AT&T to offer naked-DSL for a period of two years as conditions to mergers; those conditions have since expired.^[10]

AT&T now provides naked DSL throughout most of the country, and Qwest Communications provides it voluntarily. Verizon Communications also provides it in some areas, although at a higher price than it charges customers who bundle it with regular phone service.^{[citation needed]} Speakeasy (ISP) also provides this service.

For Missouri, Socket Telecom Holds a high rate of customers in the NDSL Range.

See also

• Local loop unbundling
• Alarm circuit

References

1. ^ Naked DSL: The Potential Impact in New Zealand - Network Strategies
2. ^ CRTC directs incumbent telephone companies to offer high-speed Internet services to competitors' residential telephone customers
3. ^ Canadian ISP - Find an Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Canada
4. ^ M-Net website, Accessed 6 October 2008.
5. ^ Samknows.com 21CN overview
6. ^ BLA pres for BBWG
7. ^ FCC unplugs states' rules on "naked" DSL
8. ^ FCC "Memorandum Opinion and Order and Notice of Inquiry" on "BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc. Request for Declaratory Ruling that State Commissions May Not Regulate Broadband Internet Access Services."
9. ^ Cybertelecom :: Naked DSL
10. ^ Cybertelecom :: Naked DSL

External links

• Choosing a Naked DSL ISP Forum
• Directory of naked broadband in Australia
• Updated List of Naked DSL ISPs that service Australia
• Naked DSL Plans in Australia