By DSL to expand July 1

Pacific Bell is scheduled to expand DSL service to nearly all Los Altos residents by Oct. 1, Stacey Wagner, director of external affairs, told the Los Altos City Council last week. About 130 residents along El Monte Road should expect service by July 1, she added.

DSL is a service that enables customers to connect to the Internet or corporate networks at lightning-quick speeds while talking on the phone at the same time. The availability of Pacific Bell’s DSL service is determined by the distance between a residence and the company’s central office. The central office feeds service into gateway boxes, or vaults, located in specific areas in Los Altos. Customers must live 12,000 feet or less from the company’s office in order to receive service at the connection speed advertised.

Pac Bell recently installed a new gateway box on El Monte Road and plans to add a second on Fremont and Magdalena avenues. The latter will expand service to 410 additional customers, Wagner said.

About half of Los Altos is already physically covered, she said. The city should be almost completely covered by the end of September, though some neighborhoods in the south Los Altos area will remain without access due to economics, she said.

Mountain View

City releases plans for new centers

Los Altos

Mountain View city officials released preliminary plans Monday night for two projects slated near Rengstorff Park - a new community center building and a senior center.

Two designs for the community building are under consideration. The master plan for the senior center is available for public review.

For more information, call the Public Works Department at 903-6311.

-Town Crier Staff Report