e.spire Signs Agreement With Covad to Offer DSL-Based, High-Speed
Internet Access in Tier 1 Markets
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ANNAPOLIS JUNCTION, Md., March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- e.spire Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: ESPI)
today announced it has signed an agreement with Covad Communications (Nasdaq: COVD) that enables
it to offer a new type of high- speed connection to the Internet in major metropolitan markets. The digital
subscriber line (DSL) service will be available to e.spire customers in New York and Washington, DC. The
expansion demonstrates e.spire's commitment to delivering affordable high-speed Internet access to its
small and medium-sized business customers.
Under the terms of the agreement, e.spire's Tier 1 national Internet backbone will interconnect with
Covad's DSL networks. e.spire will also have the option of launching DSL service via Covad's networks in
other major cities as Covad expands its footprint later this year.
By building value-added applications on top of Covad's TeleSpeed DSL transport service, e.spire's DSL
services will enable businesses and telecommuters to use standard phone lines to access the Internet or
a corporate local area network (LAN) at speeds ranging from 144kbps to 1.5Mbps. DSL service is an
always-on, dedicated connection that can be up to 25 times faster than a connection via a standard 56K
modem. Turnkey service packages will include DSL modem/routers, e-mail accounts, domain name
registration services and around-the-clock monitoring, making it simple for businesses to become Internet
enabled.
"Now e.spire's customers -- small office/home office (SOHO) and small- and medium-sized businesses --
located in these markets will have the opportunity to purchase affordable high-bandwidth Internet access,"
said Dennis Kern, President of e.spireDATA and COO of e.spire Communications. "DSL opens a window
to many new applications that previously only large corporations had the resources to invest in."
"As the Internet access market for smaller businesses continues to grow, the demand for faster,
always-on network connections increases sharply," said Chuck Haas, Covad's Executive Vice President
of Sales. "By providing a single, combined source for Internet access, e.spire and Covad will simplify
network operations for their target customers while dramatically extending the value of their networks."
Covad Communications is a leading high-speed Internet and network access provider offering DSL
services to Internet service providers (ISPs) and enterprise customers.
e.spire Communications, Inc. is a leading provider of integrated communications solutions, including
dedicated access, local dial tone, long distance, advance data, Internet and networking solutions, in
markets throughout the United States. For more information on e.spire, contact www.espire.net on the
Internet.
SOURCE e.spire Communications, Inc.
/CONTACT: John Polchin, Vice President and Treasurer, 301-361-4417, or
john.polchin@espire.net; or Peggy Disney, Director, Corporate Communications,
301-361-4259, or peggy.disney@espire.net; both of e.spire/
/Company News On-Call: prnewswire.com or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 111731/
/Web site: espire.net
(ESPI COVD) |
