New Service Brings Affordable, Broadband Internet Access to Small Businesses and Online Service Providers America Online and EarthLink to Trial Service For Consumer Internet Access By Year-End
LAS VEGAS, Fall Comdex, November 18, 1998--MCI WorldCom today announced nationwide deployment of DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) based Internet access services with availability in more than 400 Points of Presence (PoPs) by year end and 600 PoPs in March 1999. The services, available through the company's UUNET network, provide economical, higher-bandwidth Internet access to online service providers and smaller businesses. The deployment marks the first time that these groups have had access to a fully integrated, national DSL service from a single supplier company and a single contract. America Online and EarthLink will begin trials of the new service by the end of the year.
"DSL technology will dramatically change the online experience for businesses and consumers alike," said John Sidgmore, vice chairman of MCI WorldCom. "The significance of today's announcement is that it represents the first major deployment of DSL based Internet access service throughout the U.S. This will be the boost that small and medium businesses need to benefit from the Internet in a meaningful way and we believe this is a highly significant milestone in the evolution of the Internet."
Broadest Deployment of DSL to Date
The broad national footprint of the new services includes major markets such as: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, New York, San Diego, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and many others. The roster of PoPs that make up the services includes a combination of facilities from MCI WorldCom and third party LECs and CLECs. In the future, additional PoPs from MCI WorldCom local facilities will be deployed, bringing the total number to more than 1,000 by the end of 1999.
Making DSL a Reality for Businesses
The DSL service for corporate customers, called UULinksm DSL, is a fully integrated, end-to-end Internet access solution. In addition to supplying a DSL access circuit, the service includes comprehensive Internet connectivity, as well as domain name registration, e-mail accounts and news readers. The business DSL service is a symmetrical service available in bandwidths from 128 Kbps through 768 Kbps.
Following the initial offering, MCI WorldCom will introduce a comprehensive suite of DSL services for businesses of all sizes as part of its On-net product suite. This offering will be available in the first quarter of 1999.
Consumer Offering Through Online Service Providers
The DSL consumer service is asymmetrical with per-user bandwidth that ranges from 64 Kbps to 384 Kbps upstream and from 384 Kbps to 768 Kbps downstream, depending on such factors as the customer's region and distance from the central office. America Online and EarthLink will trial the service as a way to test high-speed Internet connectivity for their consumers who connect at higher speeds.
"Working together, AOL and MCI WorldCom are very well-positioned to bring high- speed access to the mass market audience," said Bob Pittman, president and chief operating officer of America Online Inc. "We believe this new technology promises to significantly enhance our member's online experience and we fully support MCI WorldCom's efforts to make high-speed access more broadly available."
"This is exactly what the ISP industry has needed to give DSL a push?a single source that can provide nationwide coverage," said Garry Betty, CEO and president of EarthLink. "We try to provide our members with as many different ways to access the Internet as possible, so we look forward to offering them affordable DSL connections nationally."
Pricing
UULink DSL will be offered to corporate customers starting at $500 per month, including the DSL circuit and Internet connectivity. Charges vary based on the customer location and bandwidth used.
Rates to online service providers will depend upon volume commitment and chosen service level parameters. End-user prices to consumers will be determined by each service provider but are expected to be in the $40-$60 range per month.
Additional information is available at UUNET's Web site, http://www.us.uu.net.
