That's right, yet another T1 is being installed in Darwin, California ... For 10 years Darwin was told to forget about broadband because broadband needed a T1 line, and bringing a T1 line to Darwin was impossible. NOW there are AT LEAST five T1 lines in place, but broadband is still impossible, according to Verizon.

But now residents — and even Inyo County — know and agree that the only reason that Darwin doesn't have DSL is that for some unfathomable reason, Verizon simply won't install it. All Verizon needs to do is hitch a switch to a T1 line and disseminate DSL over existing T1 lines.

More voice lines
The reason for Darwin's latest T1 line? It's not for broadband internet. This one's for yet more voice lines because no more voice lines can be added in town without another T1 line to carry the signals.

A good thing, no? Verizon should be lauded for bringing in more voice lines, right?

Well, errr, sort of not really.

Verizon is going to all this trouble for MAYBE one or two more residential phones in town. This will gross Verizon maybe $500–$1,000 yearly. But if Verizon installed a DSL T1, that would net them a SOLID $12,000 annual revenue stream.

Why make $1,200 when you can make $12,000?
Perhaps someone more knowledgeable in smoke-and-mirrors economics can explain this faulty logic to us back-country rubes.

1. Verizon installs a T1 for $1,200 in annual residential billing.

2. Verizon will not install a T1 for $12,000 in annual DSL billing.

Yup, you're not insane. You read those figures right. Verizon won't install DSL when they stand to make 10 times more money than the two or three phones they just installed. And that projected $12,000 DSL revenue is a CONSERVATIVE annual estimate based on DSL for 20 residents at $50 each. In fact, once more residents learned that DSL was available, Verizon could realize perhaps even $24,000 annually by offering DSL in Darwin.

Extra voice-line need is debatable
Oh well, you say, Verizon needs the new T1 line because more people may move to Darwin. WRONG. The new phone lines probably would be unneeded if Darwin had DSL. Part of the demand for new phone lines is because residents want a phone line for voice and one for a modem.

Darwin will only ever need 63 phones FOREVER, unless a resident wants a second line. Darwin only has 63 water meters, so only can have 63 households, so only needs 63 phones — unless residents add an additional phone line (probably because the first one is used by a modem). Darwin has a legal moratorium on adding any more water meters — so the population will NEVER rise above 63 households tied to those 63 water meters tied to those 63 phones.

No more residents = no more phones needed
Essentially everyone with a phone in Darwin wants broadband. A couple people want extra phone lines. So what does Verizon do? Install DSL for everyone in town? No, they install a new T1 for the couple people who want extra phone lines.

AIEEEEEEE!!!!!

Verizon says fiber optic
needed for T1 — Say what?
To add absolute insanity to this whole situation: When the Verizon rep was asked why Verizon doesn't do DSL off a T1 line, the rep said a fiber-optic line "is needed" for DSL.

The original definition of DSL is that it runs off a twisted pair of copper wires, a T1 line, NOT fiber optic.

Darwin, California would achieve the top download speeds in this chart if Verizon installed DSL from a T1 line. It currently has the bottom speed — 28.8 or even slower.

The resident pointed out to the Verizon rep that FOUR DSL switch manufacturers said that the switches work just fine off a COPPER non-fiber-optic T1 line. (A mini remote DSLAM switch is needed to bring DSL to Darwin.) In fact, the DSLAM switch manufacturers said that T1-supplied DSL systems are installed all over the world!

When informed that a T1 line could supply Darwin with DSL, the Verizon rep was silent, and then changed the subject.

What is wrong
with this picture?
Why didn't the Verizon rep say: "Wow, you're right. What a great idea. I'll look into it. That would bring Verizon about $12,000 annually. And you guys in Darwin could have broadband internet."

But instead of trying to solve a 10-year problem and make his company money, he simply ignored the real solution and changed the subject. Why? We don't have a clue. You tell us. Perhaps his mind has been taken over by aliens trying to slowly disconnect the U.S. from the internet?

DSL would be 50 times faster than current dialup
Yes, Darwin would LOVE to have fiber-optic internet service, but there is no fiber-optic line running the 38 miles from Lone Pine. Yes, a T1 line is decidedly slower (about 1.5mbps for broadband) than a fiber-optic line, but it sure beats 28.8k dialup — which is all Verizon supplies now! A 1.5-mbps T1 line would be up to 50 TIMES FASTER than existing internet service. But Verizon acts as if this isn't fast enough for some reason, and therefore isn't worth installing? Huh? Say what?

Maine RoadRunner
Lite is ONLY 1mbps
And lets put this in perspective: When Time-Warner customers in many parts of Maine, for example, order RoadRunner "Lite" broadband, they are promised ONLY 1.0 mbps, a connection 33.33 percent slower than what Darwin could have if Verizon would install the stupid INEXPENSIVE remote mini-DSLAM switch. These customers GLADLY pay $45 a pop for Roadrunner Lite in rural areas all over Maine! And Darwin would also willingly pay for a 1.5-mbps broadband connection. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR CHARITY.

To sum up yet again: ONLY Verizon can supply the T1 line into Darwin for broadband internet; only Verizon can install a mini remote DSLAM switch; only Verizon can supply DSL to Darwin. WHY WON'T THEY DO IT? It would gross Verizon $12,000 or more yearly!

A hint of the utter madness
So there you have a typical dealing with Verizon about getting broadband to Darwin: "Verizon doesn't do [DSL]."

Please understand that no one is phoning Verizon and shrieking at them over the phone, ending in a confused Verizon rep just saying anything to get off the phone. We are polite, exceedingly polite. Just trying to find out how to get DSL — meeting roadblocks from Verizon at every turn.