SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 14, 2000-- To continue meeting customer demand for increased bandwidth and faster Internet access, Pacific Bell is shifting the Internet into overdrive by rolling out Pacific Bell DSL in 22 California communities today. Pacific Bell DSL, a high-speed Internet access service powered by Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology, will be available to an additional 200,000 homes and businesses.
Pacific Bell DSL will be available for the first time in: Fontana, Pedley, Rancho Santa Fe, Nevada City, Castaic, Highland, Saugus, Coronado, Imperial Beach, Seaside, Ramona, South Gate, Shingle Springs, Salinas, Atwater, and Oroville. Additionally, Pacific Bell has increased DSL availability in Modesto, Fresno, Anaheim, Sacramento, Oakland and Riverside. Pacific Bell DSL is now available to more than 6.2 million homes and businesses throughout California, served by 284 DSL-equipped central offices.
In a related announcement, Pacific Bell Internet Services today announced a promotional package that includes Internet service and Pacific Bell Basic DSL Internet Service for just $39.95 a month with free equipment and installation. The promotion saves customers more than $300 and is available through April 30.
DSL enables customers to access the Internet or corporate networks at speeds up to 200 times faster than standard analog modems. Unlike traditional dial-up Internet access, DSL is an ''always-on'' service that allows customers to instantly connect to the Internet without the frustrations of busy signals or waiting for the modem to dial-up.
The deployment is part of Project Pronto, a $6 billion initiative that will transform Pacific Bell's parent company, SBC Communications Inc., into America's largest single broadband provider, and create a platform to introduce a host of next-generation, broadband-powered services. SBC will make DSL service available to an estimated 77 million Americans - 80 percent of SBC's customers - over the next three years through Project Pronto. With 169,000 DSL lines sold at the end of 1999, SBC is the nation's leading provider of DSL service.
''Pacific Bell DSL is widely available today, and this is the next step toward making broadband services available to nearly every California resident,'' said Robin MacGillivray, Vice President, Business Solutions Group, Pacific Bell. ''Through Project Pronto, we're making enhancements to our network that will extend the reach and dramatically increase the speed of Pacific Bell DSL.''
Currently, Pacific Bell Basic DSL Internet service provides downstream connection speeds up to 1.5 megabits per second (Mbps) - 50 times faster than a 28.8 kilobits per second (Kbps) analog modem - and a 128 Kbps upstream connection speed. The service is available through the promotion for $39.95 per month with Internet service from Pacific Bell Internet Services.
Pacific Bell Premium DSL Internet service is available with downstream connection speeds up to 6 Mbps - 200 times faster than a 28.8 Kbps modem - and an upstream connection speed of 384 Kbps. Premium DSL Internet service is available for as low as $199 per month, with Internet service and five usable IP addresses, from Pacific Bell Internet Services.
Downstream throughput speeds vary depending on a customer's distance from the central office, but customers are currently guaranteed a minimum downstream connection speed of 384 Kbps for Basic DSL Internet service and 1.5 Mbps for Premium DSL Internet service.
To receive service today, the phone line running from customers' homes to the DSL-equipped central office must be no longer than 3.3 miles and must meet certain transmission criteria.
However, through Project Pronto, Pacific Bell will virtually eliminate this distance limitation by pushing fiber deeper into neighborhoods and installing neighborhood broadband gateways to push network capabilities now housed in central offices closer to customers. This also will dramatically increase the speed of Pacific Bell DSL. Customers will receive guaranteed minimum connection speeds of 1.5 Mbps and 6.0 Mbps, depending on the package purchased.
DSL uses the same copper phone lines that run into almost every home and office, and enables customers to be on the phone and Internet simultaneously. Subscribers receive a dedicated connection to their central office, which results in consistent service speeds. DSL enables a variety of applications, including streaming video and audio, distance learning and interactive online gaming.
''DSL is emerging as the technology of choice for high-speed Internet and remote LAN access,'' said MacGillivray.
The aggressive DSL deployment is an important step in Pacific Bell's commitment to offer a full portfolio of data products and services to meet customers' evolving data needs. This year, SBC intends to begin offering advanced broadband-powered services such as voice-over-ADSL, video-on-demand, and personal video conferencing.
California residents can call 1-888-884-ADSL or visit Pacific Bell's Web site (www.pacbell.com/dsl) for additional information. Web site visitors can enter their area code and prefix to determine if their central office is DSL-equipped.
Pacific Bell is a company of SBC Communications Inc. (www.sbc.com), a global communications leader. Through its trusted brands - Southwestern Bell, Ameritech, Pacific Bell, SBC Telecom, Nevada Bell, SNET and Cellular One - and world-class network, SBC's subsidiaries provide local and long-distance phone service, wireless and data communications, paging, high-speed Internet access and messaging, cable and satellite television, security services and telecommunications equipment, as well as directory advertising and publishing. In the United States, the company currently has 87.3 million voice grade equivalent lines, 10.3 million wireless customers and is undertaking a national expansion program that will bring SBC service to an additional 30 markets. Internationally, SBC has telecommunications investments in 22 countries. With more than 200,000 employees, SBC is the 14th largest employer in the U.S., with annual revenues that rank it among the largest Fortune 500 companies.
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Contact:
Pacific Bell, San Francisco
Gary Good, 415/356-1015 |
