Thought you all might be interested in reading what USW has in mind for high-speed internet access:
****************************************************
SOURCE: U S WEST Communications
U S WEST Turns On Nation's First Mass-market, Multi-city Deployment Of Ultra-fast ADSL Internet Service;
Gives Homes, Businesses Always-on 'Web-tone' - Data Version of Dial-tone
Turbocharged Phone Lines will Boost Telecommuting, Telemedicine, On-line Homework for Millions; Denver and
Boise Lead First Wave of 20 Cities to Get Lightning-Fast, Affordable Digital Service by May
DENVER, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- U S WEST Communications (NYSE: USW - news) today launched the nation's first mass-market, multi-city
deployment of its ultra- fast Internet service, which eliminates the headaches of working on-line by turbocharging existing phone lines and
giving customers always-on 'Web-tone' -- the data equivalent of dial-tone. The new service promises to bring telecommuting, telemedicine and
on-line homework to homes and offices across America.
The affordable ''plug-and-play'' service debuts today in Denver, Colorado and Boise, Idaho, as part of a first wave of deployment that will put U
S WEST's MegaBit Services ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) access and U S WEST.net Internet service in more than 20 cities by
the end of May.
''Today, there is no more World Wide Wait. 'Web-tone' changes everything. People will be amazed at what a difference ultra-fast Internet
access can make,'' said Sol Trujillo, president and CEO, U S WEST Communications. ''Now, small businesses can set up their own high-speed
data networks. Professionals can get home for dinner on time, because of work-at-home connections. Students can do high-speed home-work
on-line. This new service will make the Internet as vital and useful to people's lives as the telephone.''
The company's new MegaBit Services is revolutionary because:
It offers speeds from 256 kbps to 7 Mbps -- up to 250 times faster than traditional modems;
No dial-up is required, eliminating annoying busy signals. The service offers continuous ''always on'' digital connections, letting
customers simply open their Internet browser software to get access;
Customers get their own private link to the Internet -- over their existing phone line --increasing security and reliability, and eliminating
traffic jams from sharing copper or fiber-optic lines with other users;
Customers can even make or receive phone calls over the same line while surfing the Internet.
''This truly turbo-charges the existing phone network,'' said Joe Zell, president, U S WEST !NTERPRISE Networking. ''MegaBit Services lets
our customers unleash the power and productivity of the Internet. Like never before, homes and offices will be able to enjoy the benefits and
bandwidth of high-speed data networking. For many more customers, telecommuting and telework are now viable business solutions.''
MegaBit Services will be available by the end of May as part of a more than 20-city deployment in:
ARIZONA COLORADO IDAHO MINNESOTA NEBRASKA UTAH
Phoenix Boulder Boise Minneapolis Omaha Bountiful,
Tuscon Denver Nampa St. Paul Clearfield,
Fort Collins Meridian Rochester N. DAKOTA Farmington,
Greeley Fargo Kaysville,
Kearns,
Holladay,
Murray,
Orem,
Provo,
Salt Lake City
By mid-1998, U S WEST plans to launch ADSL service in 20 more markets, including Colorado Springs, Colorado; Ames, Cedar Rapids, Council
Bluffs and Des Moines, Iowa; Helena, Montana; Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Santa Fe and Los Alamos, New Mexico; Eugene, Portland and
Salem, Oregon; Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Olympia, Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma, Washington; and Cheyenne, Wyoming, for a total of 226
wire centers, serving 5.5 million customer lines in U S WEST's 14 states.
Solutions that Make a Difference in People's Lives
''For all its potential, the promise of the Internet is yet to be realized in improving people's daily lives,'' said Trujillo. ''High-speed access to the
Internet and corporate data networks can make that promise a reality.''
* Telecommuting In Denver alone, the time people spend on the road commuting is
expected to top 2.3 million hours a year by 2020, a 55% jump from 1995. In
other cities, the situation is even grimmer. Millions of Americans are ready
and eager to substitute telecommuting for the daily grind of rush-hour
commuting. The Department of Transportation estimates that new communications
technology can help double the number of U.S. telecommuters to 15 million by
next decade. Industry experts say employees who telecommute two days a week
over high-speed data networks increase their productivity by 25-40%
* Education In education, the Internet has only scratched the surface. According
to the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education, "the integration
of technology into teaching as a tool for challenging and meaningful study has
been more a goal than a reality." The gap between information "haves" and
"have nots" is widening, and too few children, especially minority children,
are cyberliterate. Eliminating dial-up and download hassles will dramatically
improve the Internet's usefulness at school. And high-speed data at home can
extend the learning day, letting children do high-speed homework on-line.
Wide Range of U S WEST High-Speed Internet/Data Options
MegaBit Services offers a variety of high-speed ADSL options at affordable flat-rate prices.
U S WEST MegaHome - Gives standard Internet users 256 kbps access for about $40/mo.
U S WEST MegaOffice - Telecommuters and small businesses can get 512 kbps for about $65/mo.
U S WEST MegaBusiness - Heavier-use business customers can get 768 kbps for about $80/mo.
U S WEST MegaPak - Combines MegaHome and U S WEST.net Internet service for $59.95/mo.
U S WEST MegaBit - Intensive business users and cyber-surfers can get 1-7 Mbps for $120-$840/mo.
US WEST MegaCentral - Businesses and Internet service providers (ISPs) wanting end-to-end ADSL connections for their customers
or employees can install MegaCentral at their host site.
To hook up customers, MegaBit Services provides a Cisco SpeedRunner modem that simply plugs into a customer's existing phone jack and
connects to their computer. With no special wiring required, customers can work in any room with a standard phone jack. Customers also get a
''one-bill'' service that combines all their MegaBit Services, Internet and local phone charges on a single monthly statement.
MegaBit Services ADSL can be ordered by calling 1-888-MEGAUSW (634-2879). Availability, scale and timing will depend on rollout schedule,
local market conditions and regulatory environments. The technology also requires that customers live within range of ADSL-equipped wire
centers. U S WEST representatives will work with customers to verify availability. Coverage area will continue to expand over time as the
technology advances, much like the expansion of coverage for cellular services in the 1980's.
There are additional options for those who want different capabilities or aren't included in the initial rollout.
U S WEST.net - For $19.95/mo., this fast, reliable, Internet service, is available with any of the MegaBit Services options or as a
stand-alone service with dial-up speeds up to 56 kbps. Includes CNET Snap! Online and Netscape Communicator 4.0 software. It can be
ordered by calling 1-800-244-1111.
ISDN One-Pak - Offers voice/video/data capability, 128 kbps, U S WEST.net access for $78-$115/mo.
Frame Relay service - For business customers that do not immediately qualify for ADSL service but are still interested in upgrading data
access services for their company and their employees.
U S WEST Communications provides telecommunications services -- including wireline, wireless PCs and data networking -- to more than 25
million customers in 14 western and midwestern states. The company is one of two major groups that make up U S WEST, a company in the
connections business, helping customers share information, entertainment and communications services in local markets worldwide. U S
WEST's other major group, Media0ne Group, is in domestic and international cable and telephone, wireless communications, and directory and
information services. U S WEST has proposed splitting the two groups into separate public companies in mid-1998, pending shareowner
approval.
***************************************
Seems to me that AIME was under some pressure to lock in the licensing rights from MSU since USW would be cautious in partnering with a company lacking them.
Something is up for AIME and methinks we will know more by mid-June.
Regards,
Ron |
