RCN Achieves Network Efficiencies by Deploying Industry Leading Platform for Its RCN.Com Internet Service
The Northeast's Largest Regional ISP Signs $11 Million Deal With Ascend Communications to Deploy Mega-Pop Architecture
PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- RCN Corporation (Nasdaq: RCNC - news) today announced an $11 million deal with Ascend Communications to deploy Ascend's sophisticated switch technology throughout its Boston to Washington, D.C. target market, providing reliable, state-of-the-art connections between RCN's Internet backbone and its dial-up Internet subscribers.
By standardizing on this technology, RCN was able to launch its RCN.COM Internet brand earlier this week as a 100% V-90 (56k compatible) service, utilizing nearly 200 Ascend high-volume MAX TNT™ switches to link to points-of-presence, or POPs. The switches quickly and efficiently direct all dial-up traffic to RCN's robust Internet backbone, ensuring RCN's nearly 500,000 dial-up subscribers fast and reliable access to the Internet.
''This technology will allow RCN to even further improve our award-winning Internet services,'' said David C. McCourt, RCN Chairman and CEO. ''As the Northeast's largest regional Internet Service Provider (ISP), we are committed to providing fast and reliable Internet connections to our growing dial-up subscriber base.''
Earlier this year RCN's Erol's subsidiary was voted ''most reliable'' ISP in a nationwide survey by Inverse Network Technology of Sunnyvale, Calif. One of the criteria by which the study gauged reliability was the ability of Internet users to connect with an ISP on the first call.
RCN has gone from virtually no Internet customers in early 1998 to nearly 500,000 today through four ISP acquisitions and strong internal growth. With the internal integration of its acquisitions complete, RCN this week announced the external integration of these successful and well-respected ISPs under a common brand name offering a new standard of Internet services: RCN.COM. The company launched the new brand with a major print and radio advertising initiative throughout RCN's Boston to Washington, D.C. target market.
''Ascend's modem technology will help us manage our growth while providing the highest levels of service to our growing customer base,'' said RCN Senior Vice President David Epstein. ''The consolidation of RCN's ISP acquisitions under a common brand follows the internal integration of these successful companies and of their networks. We were able to merge four separate ISPs operating 90 physical POPs and simplify the RCN.COM network down to one of only 36 Mega-POPs, while covering the same territory. This process will result in larger modem pools, lower management costs and better utilization of existing bandwidth.''
''We use dial-up Internet access as a way to build a satisfied customer base in advance of our network construction,'' McCourt said. ''As our fiber optic network is completed, RCN's dial-up customers will have the opportunity to migrate to our high-speed cable modem service. In the meantime, we are committed to ensuring the finest on-line experience possible for those who access the Internet over traditional telephone lines.''
''We are pleased that RCN has chosen our technology as the platform for their dial-up network,'' said Mory Ejabat, President and CEO of Ascend. ''RCN provides the highest quality Internet access for their customers and Ascend's TNT WAN Access Switches, managed by NavisAccess, will provide them with the reliability and flexibility to serve many more customers on their network in the future.''
Ascend Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASND - news) develops, manufactures, sells and services wide area networking solutions for telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers and corporate customers worldwide. For more information about Ascend and its products, please visit the Ascend web site at www.ascend.com or send email to info@ascend.com.
RCN Corporation (Nasdaq: RCNC - news) is the nation's first and largest single-source, facilities based provider of telecommunications services to the residential market, the largest regional Internet service provider (ISP) in the Northeast and the nation's seventh largest ISP. The company is currently providing local and long distance phone, cable television and Internet services in several markets from Boston to Washington, D.C. RCN has expanded its target market to include California's San Francisco to San Diego corridor. Additional information about RCN's services may be found on the company's web site at www.rcn.com |
