[GTE Press release]
GTE launches two additional trials using Asymmetrical Digital
Subscriber Line (ADSL) technology with Duke University, Purdue
University.
Editor's Note: GTE will conduct a news conference during the
Networld+Interop trade show at 2 p.m. PT (5 p.m. ET), Tuesday,
May 6, Las Vegas Convention Center, room N-238. Reporters who wish
to join the press conference via a telephone link may call
1-888-209-3774, and ask for the GTE press conference.
GTE announced today that it will expand its high-speed Internet
access and remote office connectivity trial involving Microsoft Corp.
by 1,000 employees, making it the largest trial of its kind in the
world. The new trial participants will be added over the next
several months. A decision as to what equipment will be used to
support the expanded Microsoft trial will be made at a later date.
In addition, GTE said that it has launched two additional
high-speed Internet access trials using Asymmetrical Digital
Subscriber Line (ADSL) technology involving Duke University, Durham,
N.C. and Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.
"ADSL is alive and well," said Lew Wilks, president-business
markets for GTE. "We are taking these major steps to ensure that the
full promise of ADSL can soon be delivered to the nation's
workplaces, home offices and schools, bringing about dramatic
improvements in the way people use the Internet for business,
educational and leisure purposes.
"We fully expect that ADSL will do for computer users and multi-
media content developers what America's national highway system did
for tourism, opening new vistas and business opportunities around
every bend," said Wilks.
In the previously announced Redmond, Wash. trial, begun last
summer, more than 100 area businesses plus 130 employees from
Microsoft and GTE have been using the lightning-fast ADSL systems for
various applications including access to the Internet and private
data networks using Microsoft's Windows NT-based servers. In
addition, the trial includes evaluation of multiple types of ADSL
modems from Westell Technologies (Aurora, Ill.) and Amati
Communications (San Jose, Calif.), plus the test integration of other
Microsoft products for campus office and work-at-home environments
including electronic mail, news and chat services, conferencing and
electronic commerce.
"Our experience with GTE on our initial ADSL trials has been very
gratifying," said Craig Mundie, senior vice president, Consumer
Platforms Division at Microsoft. "The trials have been an important
step for Microsoft in ensuring that our server and applications
products take full advantage of the communications capabilities of
ADSL. This broader roll-out is a logical next step toward commercial
deployment of higher-speed access to the Internet and private data
networks."
In Redmond, trial participants are using modems that transmit
data "downstream" to their computers at speeds ranging from 1.5 to 6
megabits per second (Mbps), and "upstream" to GTE's switching
station at speeds ranging from 64 to 384 kilobits per second (kbps).
For comparison, customers using the 4 Mbps modems can download a
60-second video clip in near real time, a task that takes almost 45
minutes using a standard 28.8 kpbs modem.
New Trials Expand GTE's ADSL Footprint
The new trials with Duke and Purdue University will further
validate the feedback received from participants in the Redmond
trial, and the company's first trial conducted last year in suburban
Dallas, according to Wilks.
"We are convinced ADSL performs well in a traditional corporate
environment, so the Duke and Purdue trials will enable us to examine
how it can effectively be used for applications specific to college
campuses," he said.
Collectively, the two new trials involve 70 participants,
including 30 at Duke University and 40 at Purdue University. Both
trials utilize modems from Westell and Amati.
"The work that we've done at Duke with GTE since last fall has
demonstrated that ADSL's speed and constant connectivity provide a
large, positive and qualitative change in the way that faculty, staff
and students work and live," said Dave Kirby, Director of TeleHealth
at Duke University Medical Center.
Editor's Note: Network diagrams that depict the network structure
of each trial can be obtained by calling 972-718-6924 or
972-718-4981.
How ADSL Works
ADSL service works by connecting a pair of modems to each end of
a telephone line, with one modem being located in the telephone
company's central office and the other at the home or office of the
user. ADSL also maximizes the use of existing technology because it
operates over twisted-pair copper telephone lines, streamlining
installation and controlling expenses. ADSL service is also
significant in that it provides continuous Internet access unlike
traditional dial-up modem connections. ADSL, a variation of a
broader mix of xDSL services, provides continuous Internet access as
opposed to traditional dial-up modem connections. This creates many
new types of services that benefit from the "always connected"
nature of xDSL offerings.
With revenues of more than $21 billion in 1996, GTE is one of the
largest publicly held telecommunications companies in the world. In
the United States, GTE offers local and wireless service in 29 states
and long-distance service in all 50 states. GTE was the first among
its peers to offer "one-stop shopping" for local, long-distance and
Internet access services. Additional information about GTE can be
found on the Internet at gte.com. |
