NEWS: PSIX Introduces DSL Services:
Monday April 12, 8:31 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
PSINet Introduces Unique DSL Services
New Service Will Replace Telco Local Loop Using Existing Copper Infrastructure Combined With DSL Technology
HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 12, 1999--PSINet Inc. (Nasdaq:PSIX - news), the first and largest independent commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP), today announced that it has concluded an agreement with Covad Communications (Nasdaq:COVD - news) to launch PSINet DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) services.
In addition to standard DSL service, PSINet will offer an innovative, enhanced service that will combine existing copper infrastructure with DSL technology to replace the telco local loop. The services will initially be launched in San Francisco, California, in the second quarter, followed by rollouts in Los Angeles and other major metropolitan areas this summer.
DSL technology allows Internet connectivity over existing copper infrastructures that can be implemented at a lower cost than traditional circuits. It uses a line-coding scheme that allows high-speed connections through ordinary two-wire copper telephone lines, thus helping to eliminate the ''last mile'' bottleneck to high-speed communications.
PSINet DSL will be offered in two releases in each metropolitan market, including an enhanced solution designed to meet the quality and value of PSINet's global commercial customers. The enhanced service will reduce local loop charges and installation time compared to traditional T1 connections, while providing a seamless integration of DSL Technology and PSINet's premiere services such as InterFrame® and IntraNet®.
PSINet and Covad are jointly exploring other developments in DSL and will leverage the resources of both organizations to take advantage of technologies to provide high-speed solutions to customers at competitive rates. Covad Communications will supply PSINet with its TeleSpeed® line of services for businesses, with speeds ranging from 144 kilobits per second (kbps) to over 1.5 megabit per second (mbps).
DSL speed depends on a customer's distance from the telephone company's central office (CO) and the quality of the existing copper infrastructure. PSINet will provide estimates of bandwidth availability to customers prior to installation. The service can deliver speeds of up to 1.5 mbps, 12 times faster than ISDN's 128 Kilobits per second (Kbps) and up to 50 times faster than most dial-up modems.
''This unique service is consistent with PSINet's strategy to develop and offer alternative Internet access methods to the telco local loop. PSINet InterSky, for example, offers an affordable, high-speed alternative to traditional land-based last-mile Internet services using wireless local loops,'' said William Opet, president, PSINet's Corporate Network Services.
''We welcome working with PSINet, which will help expand the availability of our industry-leading TeleSpeed products to businesses,'' said Robert E. Knowling, president and CEO of Covad. ''We also look forward to bringing DSL services to PSINet's portfolio of Internet services, at an excellent value for the end user.''
Covad Communications Company is a leading high-speed Internet and network access provider offering DSL services to Internet Service Providers and enterprise customers. The company has launched its services in the San Francisco Bay, Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Seattle, Sacramento and Baltimore, and has announced plans to deploy its networks in a total of 22 regions, encompassing 51 metropolitan statistical areas nationwide.
Headquartered in Herndon, VA, PSINet is a global facilities-based Internet Protocol (IP) data communications carrier focused on the business marketplace. PSINet offers a broad set of high-speed corporate LAN connectivity services supporting managed security and guaranteed Internet, Intranet, electronic commerce, Web hosting services, and services for other carriers and ISPs. PSINet operates an international state-of-the-art frame relay and ATM-based, IP-optimized network consisting of more than 500 points of presence (POPs) around the world serving primary markets in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom. PSINet information can be obtained by e-mail at info@psi.com, by accessing the Web site at psinet.com or by calling toll-free 1-800-799-0676. |
