Thread, does anyone know which flavor of DSL Earthlink and UUNet are referring to in the following release? Is it the IDSL (ISDN variant) that operates at 144 kb/s? It goes on to talk about such things as dynamic address assignments (through DHCP) and the number of POPs covered, but no mention of the speed of the service. If it is IDSL, then that would explain it. It would hardly be what I would regard as the "holy grail" as the article states. Curious how this little detail is missing in the release, eh?
Regards, Frank Coluccio
----------------------------release follows:
EarthLink Announces Industry's First Nationwide
Consumer DSL Service
July 15, 1999
PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE) via
NewsEdge Corporation --
EarthLink and UUNET Sign Agreement Allowing
EarthLink
to Offer Consumer-Priced DSL Internet Access
Across the Country
EarthLink (Nasdaq:ELNK) Wednesday announced
an agreement with UUNET, an MCI WorldCom
company and a global leader in Internet
communications, that will allow EarthLink to deliver
DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) Internet access
nationwide.
The service, called EarthLink Sprint DSL, will
undergo market testing during this year's third
quarter in Dallas, Minneapolis and Charlotte, N.C.,
with plans for availability in major metropolitan areas
by the end of the year.
The agreement makes EarthLink the only consumer
Internet Service Provider (ISP) to craft a national DSL
solution. The use of UUNET's DSL network allows
EarthLink to offer the broadest DSL coverage in the
industry. EarthLink has pursued DSL opportunities
aggressively, announcing three DSL network deals
since April. In addition to UUNET, EarthLink has
existing DSL agreements in place with Sprint and
Pacific Bell.
"In a world where DSL is considered a regional
service, national coverage is the Holy Grail," said
Jon Irwin, senior vice president of broadband services
at EarthLink. "This agreement will allow us to
leverage this national infrastructure and commitment
to DSL to reinforce our leadership position in the
broadband market. It should give us a major leg up
on our competition."
The Yankee Group, a leading source of industry
research, foresees a huge upswing in the number of
DSL users in the near future. The company
estimates that the number of consumer DSL users
will increase more than 100-fold, from 25,000 in 1998
to more than 4 million by 2003. By being able to
meet this increased demand on a national scale,
EarthLink will be well positioned to lead the market
for broadband Internet access.
"A national DSL solution is a distinct advantage in
the ISP market, and a great move for EarthLink,"
said Melissa Bane, director of Internet market
strategies at the Yankee Group. "The consumer
demand for broadband services will increase
dramatically in the next few years, and companies
that make high-speed connections available
nationally will be in a great position to lead the field."
UUNET Wednesday announced that it has 1,000
DSL-ready Points of Presence (POPs), and plans to
raise that total to 1,500 by year's end and to 2,000
by the end of next year. EarthLink's 2,300 dial-up
POPs -- far and away the industry's most -- allow
EarthLink members to get online when they're away
from home as well.
Since the beginning of this year, EarthLink and
UUNET have been testing and enhancing the service
in Los Angeles and Boston, and upcoming market
trials are planned for Dallas, Minneapolis and
Charlotte. Commercial launch will take place in
major metropolitan areas during the fourth quarter of
1999.
EarthLink members will only have to make one call
to get up and running, and EarthLink will handle all
member support, marketing, sales and Internet
service-related functions. The service will utilize
dynamic IP (Internet Protocol) addresses for greater
security. Although pricing has not been set,
EarthLink targets offering the service in the $40-$60
per month range.
For updates and availability of EarthLink Sprint DSL
or other high-speed Internet access services, visit
earthlink.net. For more
information about EarthLink's other award-winning
Internet access Web hosting and e-commerce
services, call 800/395-8425 or visit
www.earthlink.net.
About EarthLink
"It's your Internet."
EarthLink is one of the world's leading Internet
service providers. Through its unified EarthLink Sprint
Internet access service, the company makes the
Internet relevant and productive to more than 1.15
million individuals and businesses every day.
With headquarters in Pasadena, EarthLink provides
a full range of innovative access and hosting
solutions to thousands of communities
internationally from more than 2,300 points of
presence. EarthLink and Sprint Corp. (NYSE:FON)
have formed a broad business relationship to create
an Internet service with the potential to reach
millions of new customers.
Sprint is a global communications company and one
of the world's largest carriers of Internet traffic.
Information about EarthLink and EarthLink Sprint
services is available by calling 800/395-8425 and
through EarthLink's Web site at www.earthlink.net.
This news release contains forward-looking
statements, forecasts and predictions that involve
risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ
materially from those anticipated in these
forward-looking statements, forecasts and
predictions as a result of many factors including
those discussed in the EarthLink's various reports
filed from time to time with the SEC.
<<Business Wire, 07-14-99, 07:00 Eastern>>
CONTACT: EarthLink, Pasadena | 626/296-2400 |
Kirsten Kappos, kirstenk@corp.earthlink.net | Kurt
Rahn, kurtrahn@corp.earthlink.net | or | UUNET |
Mara Radis, 703/206-5441 | marar@uu.net | or |
Manning Selvage & Lee | Dennis Woods,
323/782-6600 | dwoods@mslpr.com
[Copyright 1999, Business Wire] |
