Here is the Full report ...Sprint Will Build Its Own DSL Network
(http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19981217S0017)
(12/17/98, 8:09 p.m. ET)
By Margie Semilof, TechWeb
Sprint on Thursday said it will build its own
local high-speed access links to its
next-generation network platform, rather than
wait for regional Bell companies to release
their services.
Sprint will build DSL service in 35 major
cities to give mostly small and midsize
customers access to its emerging ATM
network platform, Integrated On-Demand
Network.
ION, announced last June, gives customers
local and long distance service for voice and
data using one connection.
Until now, Sprint had planned to procure DSL
service from the local carriers and competitive
local exchange carriers. Rather than wait for
those services to develop, however, the long
distance carrier said it decided to develop its
own service for "the last mile."
The service entails bringing digital DSL access
multiplexers to about 1,000 central offices by
early 2000 and, eventually, to about 1,600
central offices, company executives said. The
company will lease copper wire from RBOCs
.
Analysts said Sprint's decision to develop its
own last-mile DSL service is important
because without DSL, ION is only available to
customers using T1 or higher-speed services,
meaning large customers that can afford them.
"The problem, historically, is with the sites of
customers who are small and have to use the
local phone company for switched access to
get back to Sprint," said Lisa Pierce, an
analyst at Giga Information Group, in
Cambridge, Mass. "When you've got two
networks, all the fancy features go down the
drain."
Sprint's plan to use the RBOC's unbundled
copper is thorny because of some ongoing
regulatory issues, and they were afraid that
customers would balk at the wait.
The carrier probably looked at the cost and
said, "we can do this for the same amount of
money," Pierce said.
Sprint plans to launch its commercial ADSL
service in Charlottesville, Va., in May 1999,
followed by service launches in Las Vegas,
Kansas City, and Orlando, Fla.
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Be advised that AFCI already is doing this in Nevada as disclosed yesterday.(http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/981215/ncube_1.html)
Formidable Strategic Alliance Announces Production of Advanced Telecommunications Services On Demand Network
From the article: "...RENO, Nev.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 15, 1998-- SourceNet Corporation today announced that it has forged a strategic alliance with technology leaders to develop and produce a complete end-to-end Advanced Telecommunications Services solution called the On Demand Network™ (ODN™). SourceNet has brought together, and formed formal relationships with, Advanced Fibre Communications,Inc. (Nasdaq:AFCI - news), Efficient Networks, Inc., Minerva Systems, Inc., Newbridge Networks(NYSE:NN - news; TSE:NNC - news), nCUBE, and Stellar One Corp...."
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I would certainly think Sprint would look at AFC and their products. Let's hope that AFC can be competitive and can sell Sprint on their technology. This would be a big win for CEO Green. Notice that AFC already provides similar services in Florida and Nevada.
EKS |
