Oregon Trail Internet First to Offer High-speed Internet
Access To Rural Pacific Northwest
Updated 2:03 PM ET November 29, 1999
Elastic Networks EtherLoop Burst-Mode Technology Enables Service
PENDLETON, Ore., Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Oregon Trail Internet, Inc., a regional
provider of Internet access and Web hosting services, today announced the deployment of
high-speed Internet access across markets in rural Oregon and Washington. Oregon Trail
is the first provider to offer DSL services in these markets.
To reach widely dispersed rural customers, Oregon Trail is deploying Elastic Networks'
EtherLoop burst-mode DSL hardware and connectivity software in 7 of their 14
Points-of-Presence (POPs) in the area. Elastic Networks solutions enable Oregon Trail to
deliver reliable, secure, high-speed Internet access over regular copper telephone lines.
"Other companies talk about providing DSL in rural markets or promise it will be available
someday," says Tim Sharrard, chief operating officer of Oregon Trail Internet. "Oregon
Trail Internet is the only Internet provider that can say, 'we provide high-speed DSL, and it
is here today'."
"As a provider to rural markets, a key issue was the reach of the service area a DSL
product provides," says Steve Winterton, president and chief executive officer of Oregon
Trail. "While most xDSL variants provide service to an 8,000 to 12,000 foot total loop
length, the Elastic Networks EtherLoop solution will reach up to 21,000 feet, which
provides 70 to 100% saturation in each of our market areas. We take network security
very seriously, which is another reason we chose the Elastic Networks system. EtherLoop
is not a shared resource so, unlike cable modems, all transmissions are completely secure."
Oregon Trail has begun rapid deployment of the DSL / EtherLoop service and will be fully
operational in 7 of the 14 POPs by March 2000, with deployment in the remaining POPs
scheduled throughout the year. Communities include Bend, Hermiston, LeGrande,
Milton-Freewater, Pendleton, Redmond, and Walla Walla.
"Elastic Networks is pleased to partner with Oregon Trail to deliver high- speed Internet
access to rural America," said Phil Griffith, vice president of marketing for Elastic
Networks. "EtherLoop's ease of deployment over regular telephone lines will enable
Oregon Trail to rapidly meet the growing demand for high-speed based service."
Oregon Trail Internet, headquartered in Pendleton, Oregon, is one of the largest Internet
Service Providers (ISPs) in rural Oregon and Washington and has been a leader in Internet
technology since 1996. The company serves more than 5,000 residential and commercial
customers across 60 communities. For more information, visit www.oregontrail.net or call
541-276-4001.
Elastic Networks, Incorporated offers Ethernet-based, burst-mode DSL hardware and
innovative connectivity software solutions for the enterprise and carrier markets. By
leveraging its technological differentiation in speed, economical deployment, and strategic
partnerships, Elastic Networks continues to open the world of high-speed Internet
connectivity.
Based in Alpharetta, Georgia, Elastic Networks is a private company funded by Nortel
Networks, Texas Instruments, and Pequot Capital. For more information about Elastic
Networks' portfolio of high-speed access and subscriber management solutions, visit
www.elastic.com or call 678-297-3100.
Contact: media, Tim Sharrard of Oregon Trail Internet, Inc., 541-276-4001, or tim@oregontrail.net or
Susan Daw of Elastic Networks, 678-297-3061, or sdaw@elastic.com |
