It took way longer than it should have, but AT&T has finally discontinued its venerable but super-slow DSL broadband technology.
“One of America’s largest internet providers is uploading its oldest broadband technology into the sunset,” reports USA Today. Unfortunately, that will leave some future customers with no choices for wired broadband internet.
We’re beginning to phase out outdated services like DSL and new orders for the service will no longer be supported after October 1,” a corporate statement sent beforehand read. “Current DSL customers will be able to continue their existing service or where possible upgrade to our 100% fiber network.”
DSL from AT&T tops out at 6 Mbps, due to the limitations of delivering internet service over AT&T’s old copper telephone lines. That speed is less than 25% of the 25 Mbps minimum required to qualify as broadband under Federal Communications Commission rules. AT&T also further restricts DSL users’ internet freedom by imposing a 150 GB monthly data cap on the service.
On the good side of things, DSL did bring the internet via broadband, always-on connection to many people that otherwise would have missed out.
AT&T reported 653,000 total DSL connections at the end of its second quarter, compared to 14.48 million on its fiber-optic and hybrid-fiber services.