DSL for takeout: Bell Atlantic, 3Com bring high-speed access to retail

Bell Atlantic and 3Com are taking DSL to a new level by putting it in retail outlets. Focused on increasing accessibility, the two companies are selling take-home DSL kits bundled with software, hardware and what are intended to be easy-to-follow instructions. The process is viewed as cost- and time-efficient and aims to eliminate truck rolls by making the installation process easy for customers.

The retail kit includes software to guide users through installation, 3Com's HomeConnect internal asymmetrical DSL modem, an interactive video and filters to plug into the wall jack. In addition to selling the kit, some retail outlets such as CompUSA and Staples will have interactive kiosks so customers can try out the service and test for line qualification.

Subscribers will have to wait seven days after purchasing and installing the kit while Bell Atlantic turns up service, said Brian Price, marketing manager for Bell Atlantic's consumer services division.

Bell Atlantic and 3Com have been using New York as a test bed for the home kits and have not encountered many problems with the do-it-yourself installations, Price added.

"A truck roll is not necessary to get the service installed as it is with getting a new phone line," said Jerry Devlin, vice president and general manager of 3Com's personal connectivity division.

But the migration to customer installation will not be so simple, one analyst said. "It won't be easy at first because the confusion and frustration factors will be there," said Jay Pultz, research director at the GartnerGroup. The frustration will come from customers who are told their line qualifies, purchase the kit and then discover other technicalities may prevent the service from working properly.

"DSL must become as simple as buying and installing an analog modem," Pultz said.

The retail offering, however, is a critical and necessary step in the acceptance and mass rollout of DSL, Pultz said.

"The jump into retail has really happened faster than we expected, but nonetheless, it is crucial for DSL to take off," he said.

BellSouth has a similar effort in rolling out its DSL service, although it doesn't involve retail outlets. When a customer calls and initiates the service, BellSouth and its partners, Efficient Networks and Innotrac, send out a home installation kit and walk-through instructions.