WSTL (DSL maker) up 50 %
Two major press releases. Hope that this bold well for PAIR in the future. DSL really starting to get lots of press.
SOURCE: Westell Technologies, Inc.
Westell Extends ADSL Agreement with Bell Atlantic For Up to Five Additional Years
AURORA, Ill., April 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Westell Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: WSTL - news) today announced that it has extended its agreement with Bell Atlantic, for up to five years for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) customer premise equipment (CPE) and other related ADSL products.
ADSL is the ideal consumer vehicle for high-speed access to the Internet and other online services over the copper loop. ADSL digital modems are connected to the consumers' personal computers and existing copper telephone lines, to allow simultaneous voice and data always-on connectivity (no dial up) to the Internet. Bell Atlantic is currently providing their ADSL consumer service, known as Bell Atlantic® Infospeed(SM) DSL, in the Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas as well as in communities on New Jersey's Hudson River waterfront. In the spring, the company will begin deployment in the New York City and Boston metropolitan areas.
''Westell is very pleased to announce that it has extended its agreement with Bell Atlantic for ADSL CPE and other related ADSL products. We have worked with Bell Atlantic since 1992 on ADSL and are excited to be continuing this important relationship,'' stated Marc Zionts, Westell's CEO.
ADSL systems incorporating Westell components are delivering consumers Internet access speeds up to 7.1 Mbps. In addition to providing Internet users with the ability to transmit data at very high speeds, ADSL also relieves the public voice network of data traffic congestion. ADSL directs the data traffic to and from the users' personal computers directly to the ATM/IP (Asynchronous Transfer Mode/Internet Protocol) switches and routers that make up the high-speed backbone telephone network.
Westell Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Aurora, Ill., is a holding company for Westell, Inc. and Conference Plus, Inc. Westell, Inc. manufactures and licenses DSL systems and value added CPE, and manufactures telecommunications access products. Conference Plus, Inc. is a multi-point telecommunications service bureau specializing in audio teleconferencing, multi-point video conferencing, broadcast fax, and multimedia teleconference services. Additional information can be obtained by visiting Westell's Web site at westell.com.
Infospeed(SM) DSL is a service mark of Bell Atlantic.
''Safe Harbor'' statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
Certain statements contained herein including, without limitation, Telco deployment of DSL systems and increases in DSL system sales, are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These risks include, but are not limited to, product demand and market acceptance risks (including the future commercial acceptance of the Company's ADSL systems by telephone companies and other customers), the impact of competitive products and technologies (such as cable modems and fiber optic cable), competitive pricing pressures, product development, excess and obsolete inventory due to new product development, commercialization and technological delays or difficulties (including delays or difficulties in developing, producing, testing and selling new products and technologies, such as ADSL systems), the effect of the Company's accounting policies, the effect of economic conditions and trade, legal, social, and economic risks (such as import, licensing and trade restrictions) and other risks more fully described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1998 under the section ''Risk Factors.'' The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
SOURCE: Westell Technologies, Inc.
SOURCE: Bell Atlantic
Bell Atlantic Signs Network Technology Agreements with Nortel Networks, Alcatel and Westell Technologies
Agreements Provide Technology to Upgrade Bell Atlantic Network and Expand Voice and Data Services, Including Infospeed(SM) DSL
NEW YORK, April 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Bell Atlantic (NYSE: BEL - news) has signed five-year agreements with Nortel Networks and Alcatel (NYSE: ALA - news), allowing the company to continue upgrading its network and to expand the availability of voice and data services.
In addition, Bell Atlantic has extended an existing agreement with Westell Technologies (Nasdaq: WSTL - news) to continue providing DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) data products, including customer premises equipment for some customers who purchase Bell Atlantic's Infospeed(SM) DSL product. The Westell agreement extends the Bell Atlantic - Westell relationship for an additional five years.
These three agreements support Bell Atlantic's 1999 plan to make its high-speed Infospeed DSL service available in communities with about eight million households throughout the region served by the company. Bell Atlantic Infospeed DSL service is now available in parts of the Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas, as well as in the Hudson River waterfront communities in New Jersey. The company will deploy the service in the New York City and Boston areas this spring.
''These new contracts meet our objective of bringing the best technology and service to our customers in the most cost-effective manner,'' said Paul Lacouture, Bell Atlantic president for Network Services. ''With these contracts signed, we will move forward with our aggressive plans to expand availability of our high-speed data products and to deploy more high-capacity capability in our network.''
Under the agreements with Nortel and Alcatel, Bell Atlantic will spend about $1.3 billion over five years to acquire voice and data access hardware and software products, such as feature-rich fiber-optic systems known as Next Generation Digital Loop Carrier systems. The deployment of this mix of products positions Bell Atlantic to provide high-capacity data and voice services over its network.
Bell Atlantic employed a competitive bid process and negotiated with technology suppliers prior to reaching the agreements announced today. Following the competitive process, the company made its selections based on proposals that could best meet Bell Atlantic's total cost, quality, service and technology requirements.
Lacouture cited the following features of the contracts:
-- Bell Atlantic increases its ability to deliver the best quality voice
and data products and services available.
-- Bell Atlantic will be able to control or reduce network deployment
costs, while continuing to serve customers with the best technology
available.
-- The contracts contain provisions under which Bell Atlantic will
regularly review the quality and cost of technology provided by the
companies, and make adjustments in how much it spends with each company
based on results of the reviews. Also, Bell Atlantic will conduct a
marketplace review after the third year of the contracts, ensuring that
the two suppliers continue to provide Bell Atlantic with a competitive
advantage. Based on that review, Bell Atlantic could re-negotiate
terms of these agreements.
Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information industry. With more than 42 million telephone access lines and 8.6 million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations and investments in 23 countries.
INTERNET USERS: Bell Atlantic news releases, executive speeches, news media contacts and other useful information are available at Bell Atlantic's News Center on the World Wide Web (http://www.ba.com). To receive news releases by email, visit the News Center and register for personalized automatic delivery of Bell Atlantic news releases.
SOURCE: Bell Atlantic
|
