Switching Verizon dry loop DSL to new address flummoxes Verizon

I've been a Verizon dry loop DSL customer for two years. In those two years I've had DSL at two different apartments. Recently I moved to a third apartment, and called Verizon to get them to transfer my dry loop DSL from the old (second) apartment to the new (third) apartment. This was on August 11 that I called, and they said that my service ready date would be early September.

I stated that this was clearly inconvenient because I was starting grad. school shortly and needed internet service in my new apartment as soon as possible, not to be demanding but just to state that fact. They were able to push it up until August 19, which was still over a week away, but I counted my blessings that at least I was able to achieve that.

August 19 came, and I retrieved my Westell Gateway wireless modem/router from my old apartment and installed it in the new apt., hooked everything up, etc. Of course, the DSL did not work. The DSL light on the modem juts maddeningly blinked... After 40 minutes on the phone with Verizon Online tech support, and three or four line tests, this was the verdict:
1. I had done everything right -- hooked up everything correctly
2. My modem was working correctly.
3. The phone lines in my new apartment most likely were able to handle the DSL (indeed the fixtures are relatively new implying that they are sufficient)
4. There was a problem with the signal from Verizon reaching my actual house/apartment -- this was Verizon's fault, as it was explained to me.

My questions: How can this be so hard, if:
1. ... DSL, even dry loop, is designed to run over standard phone lines?
2. ... I live in Philadelphia and the area has overall very decent DSL service, including at my two previous Philadelphia apartments? How can the signal have such difficulty reaching me in a relatively densely populated/well-wired neighborhood?

It seems like this should be a relatively easy switch, but now I have to wait for a technician to come on Tuesday afternoon to investigate things. We put a man on the moon 40 years ago, but somehow we can't transfer Internet service from one apartment to another in a major American city that has presumably all the hardware installed already?