COVD gapping on news w/GST Telecom:
Tuesday June 22, 8:01 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: GST Telecommunications, Inc.
GST Telecommunications Partners With Covad Communications for DSL Service
Agreement Broadens GST's Reach in Major Metropolitan Markets
VANCOUVER, Wash., June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- GST Telecommunications, Inc. (Nasdaq: GSTX - news), a leading Integrated Communications Provider (ICP) in California and the western United States, today announced it has entered a strategic agreement under which Covad Communications (Nasdaq: COVD - news), a leading provider of high-speed Internet and network access, will provide Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) services for GST in GST's major metropolitan markets.
Under the terms of the agreement, GST will use Covad's DSL network to provide a full suite of integrated communications solutions including Internet and network access to the small- to medium-sized business market.
''Our relationship with Covad allows GST to further expand its addressable market,'' stated Joe Basile, president and chief executive officer of GST. ''With DSL capabilities we have a broader geographic reach within our major metropolitan markets and a more cost-effective means of extending our VITA (Virtual Integrated Transport and Access) network downstream to deliver products and services to small and medium-sized businesses. It is one more means by which we can offer fully integrated communications solutions to the millions of small businesses who have been previously left out of many of the changes within the industry that have benefited the larger customers.''
''Covad is a leader in the DSL market, and this agreement with GST allows us to leverage their customer base, and expand our reach to users,'' said Robert Roblin, vice president of Marketing for Covad. ''Covad and GST will increase the end user's choice of products and services, helping them with innovative products that maximize bandwidth and provide true individual service.''
DSL service is faster than Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)-based access, providing Internet customers with Internet access at speeds 12 to 50 times faster. DSL service is also far more cost-effective than ISDN or alternative services, such as dedicated T1. Coupled with GST's VITA network, DSL services enhance GST's high-speed data and Internet delivery capabilities.
In April, GST announced the successful completion of DSL service trials in the San Francisco market. Along with its expanded service offerings, DSL serves as a cost-effective way for small businesses to access GST's VITA network. GST's VITA network, one of the most advanced converged networks on the West Coast, combines voice and data onto a common infrastructure utilizing a combination of packet, frame, and cell technology over an ATM based network.
GST will offer DSL services in its major metropolitan markets throughout its territory in the western United States.
GST Telecommunications, Inc., an Integrated Communications Provider (ICP) headquartered in Vancouver, Wash., provides a broad range of integrated telecommunications products and services including local dial tone, Internet, long distance, and enhanced data services throughout the United States with a robust presence in California and the West. Facilities-based GST continues to focus on its western regional strategy by anchoring its next generation networks in local markets and connecting them via long haul fiber networks. Visit GST's Web site at www.gstcorp.com. |
