Methods of providing digital data services including comparing predicted and measured levels of performance and related systems and computer program products

A method of providing a digital data service between a communications service provider and a first customer site over a first communications loop, the method comprising:

• predicting a level of performance of the first communications loop based on a topological description of the first communications loop without coupling a modem to the first communications loop at the customer site to provide a predicted level of performance of the first communications loop;
• qualifying the first communications loop for an initial qualified level of digital data service at an initial subscribed data rate based on the predicted level of performance of the first communications loop;
• after qualifying the first communications loop, providing digital data service over the first communications loop at the initial qualified level and at an initial subscribed price using a modem coupled to the first communications loop at the first customer site wherein providing the digital data service at the initial qualified level includes throttling the digital data service so as not to exceed the initial subscribed data rate;
• after qualifying the first communications loop, obtaining a measured level of performance of the first communications loop based on data communicated between the communications service provider and the modem over the first communications loop, comprising incrementally adjusting parameters of a port of a digital subscriber line access multiplexer coupled to the first communications loop;
• comparing the measured level of performance with the predicted level of performance for the first communications loop between the communications service provider and the first customer site wherein the predicted level of performance is predicted without coupling the modem to the first communications loop;
• if the measured level of performance is significantly greater than the predicted level of performance, qualifying the first communications loop for an enhanced qualified level of digital data service, and offering an option to switch to the enhanced qualified level at a higher data rate exceeding the initial subscribed data rate at an enhanced subscriber price exceeding the initial subscribed price;
• and
• if the measured level of performance is significantly less than the predicted level of performance, initiating a service intervention to improve performance of the first communications loop.