Any IT knowledge out there? (DSL issue today)

So, Verizon once provided my net service/phone.  Then, Frontier bought the landline business when Verizon started chasing after wireless business.  My DSL modem, a Westell Wirespeed has been working grandly all these years and yesterday Frontier's network stuff has developed a problem that causes my modem to disconnect multiple times in the course of a session of net use.  And, when I picked up my phone, all I heard was static and no dial tone at all.  Folks that try to call me are dropped straight into voice mail.  A bunch of times I'd click on something and watch the 'Ready' light on the modem start blinking, which means a loss of sync.

For those of you who have some knowledge, what kind of problems would cause the aforementioned symptoms?  Even if there's nothing I could do, knowing a few possibilities why would be most helpful even if for nothing more than peace of mind.

*EDIT*  Welp, found out what the issue was...a ground short in the junction box on the side of the house.  The cure?  Tech simply cut off the connection that fed two of my phone jacks, leaving me one that is working pretty well.  Didn't find that out until I called asking for help on why two jacks were dead--tech was here and gone in about ten minutes or so, and didn't reconnect them.  Not so bad, though...if in the future it's necessary to have those connections re-done, it won't cost an arm and a leg to do so.  So for now, my phone and comp are happily sharing one connector in my bedroom, with the comp's DSL working just fine!