Some more good Line sharing news as well as G.Lite news.
xdsl.com
NorthPoint Communications Secures Nationwide Line-Sharing Agreements
SAN FRANCISCO, June 6 /PRNewswire/ -- NorthPoint (Nasdaq: NPNT - news) today announced that it has secured operational line-sharing agreements with all major incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs), a breakthrough in NorthPoint's delivery of broadband communications to American consumers.
``Line sharing will make DSL-based broadband services more affordable and available to millions of American consumers,'' said Liz Fetter, NorthPoint's president and CEO. ``Combined with NorthPoint's aggressive deployment of g.lite technology and its alliance with RadioShack Corporation and MSN, NorthPoint is ideally positioned to take advantage of this major milestone.''
Line sharing enables competitive carriers such as NorthPoint to offer digital subscriber line (DSL) service over the same line used by incumbent carriers to deliver voice service. Prior to line sharing, competitive DSL providers were forced to purchase second, costly stand-alone lines to deliver DSL services. By gaining access to shared lines to deliver DSL, the implementation of line sharing expands NorthPoint's addressable market, significantly reduces loop costs, and opens the gates for vibrant competition in the residential DSL market.
NorthPoint's line-sharing agreements with Bell Atlantic, SBC, Bell South, GTE, Sprint and U S West provide much lower rates for shared local loops. As a result, NorthPoint's average cost for shared loops will be less than half the cost of today's stand-alone loops.
In addition to these cost benefits, line sharing will significantly simplify the DSL provisioning process, making it easier and quicker for consumers to enjoy the benefits of affordable, high-speed Internet access. Because it uses a line already in service, line sharing greatly reduces the steps an ILEC is required to take in order to supply a line to NorthPoint. In addition, NorthPoint has already successfully delivered ``self-installed'' DSL service, made possible through line sharing, to decrease the complexity, cost and time frames currently associated with DSL provisioning. In line-sharing tests conducted by NorthPoint, customers have successfully self-installed service in as few as ten days using an instruction kit provided by NorthPoint and without the assistance of a trained field technician.
Line sharing is a key component of NorthPoint's strategy to deliver DSL services to the rapidly growing mass consumer market. This strategy includes a powerful alliance with RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH - news) that will enable American consumers to ``test drive'' and order MSN Internet access powered by NorthPoint DSL in thousands of RadioShack Corporation stores by the end of this year. NorthPoint and RadioShack Corporation will soon launch service in selected Dallas/Fort Worth and San Francisco stores and will expand service availability in these and other markets throughout the year.
``Line sharing will make the benefits of broadband available to more American consumers and will play a major role in unlocking the huge potential of the Internet,'' said Leonard Roberts, chairman, president and CEO of RadioShack Corporation. ``With NorthPoint, we will make it easy for consumers to sample and order DSL and look forward to enhancing our broadband offering with line sharing-based service.''
Currently, NorthPoint is utilizing line sharing for service in seven markets, including New York and San Francisco. Beginning in the third quarter, the company will offer residential service via line sharing in all of its U.S. markets.
NorthPoint has led the fight for line sharing before the Federal Communications Commission for several years. In November 1999, the FCC ordered incumbent local exchange carriers to permit line sharing to end their arbitrary advantage and to give competitive service providers like NorthPoint better, less costly access to residential lines. The FCC's order takes effect today, when all ILECs are required to have line-sharing agreements in place.
About NorthPoint
NorthPoint Communications Group, Inc., a leading broadband provider based in San Francisco, is building a global network designed to deliver affordable, dedicated high-speed Internet access, streaming content and other value-added services to consumers and businesses around the world. The company currently operates DSL-based local networks in 37 major U.S. markets. By the end of 2000, NorthPoint plans to pass half of all homes and businesses in the U.S. and, through its strategic global partnerships with Versatel in Europe and Call-Net in Canada, has embarked on the industry's most ambitious global broadband deployment to date. NorthPoint provides DSL-based Internet access service -- at speeds up to 1.5 Mbps, more than 25 times faster than common dial-up modems -- through national and regional Internet Service Providers, global partnerships, competitive local exchange carriers, long-distance carriers, retailers, value-added resellers and other partners. For additional information, visit www.northpoint.net.
Perry P. |
