WorldCom Subsidiary Offers Faster Internet Access Solution to Small and Medium-Sized Businesses LOS ANGELES, Spring Internet World '98, March 11, 1998 - UUNET Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of WorldCom, Inc. and a global leader in Internet communications solutions, today announced Preferred Access 768, a new dedicated Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL) service with 768 Kbps bandwidth. Preferred Access 768 builds on UUNET's previously released Preferred Access 128 service - the first commercial DSL-based Internet access service - by offering six times the speed and capacity.
"With Preferred Access 768, smaller but growing businesses can take full advantage of Internet applications such as Web hosting and remote LAN access without the expense of a T1 line," said Alan Taffel, UUNET's vice president of marketing and business development. "Preferred Access 768 represents another step toward UUNET's goal of helping businesses get the most they can out of the Internet."
Expanded Internet Applications for Small, Medium-Sized Businesses
Preferred Access services use standard copper wires, bypass congested switched voice networks and eliminate ISDN installation hassles. The Preferred Access 768 service supplies bi-directional 768 Kbps bandwidth for Internet access. At this speed, a color graphic that would take one minute to download from a website via a 128 Kbps connection would take only 10 seconds to download. Similarly, a connection that supports 10 users simultaneously with 128 Kbps can support 60 concurrent users with 768 Kbps.
All Preferred Access services deliver the performance of a dedicated connection at about half the price of a T1 line. Such price and performance attributes make the service affordable and accessible for small and medium-sized businesses.
Current Preferred Access 128 customers can easily upgrade to Preferred Access 768. By simply switching the customer premise router, customers can immediately utilize the higher 768 Kbps bandwidth.
Only Fully Integrated DSL Service Available
Unlike many other DSL offerings, Preferred Access 768 is a fully integrated Internet access solution with end-to-end service. In addition to supplying a DSL access circuit, UUNET provides comprehensive Internet connectivity and related services, enabling businesses to obtain everything they need from a single vendor.
Preferred Access 768 includes DNS registration, 20 POP e-mail accounts, and five NNTP news readers. In addition, customers receive 24 x 7 monitoring, proactive troubleshooting and UUNET's business-class customer support. Installation coordination, including local loop provisioning, is also handled by UUNET.
Pricing and Availability
Preferred Access 768 is available immediately in New York City and Silicon Valley. The service will expand to all 54 of UUNET's existing U.S. DSL PoPs - the largest number provided by any ISP - by the summer of 1998.
Pricing for Preferred Access 768 ranges from $650 to $1400 per month, with no term commitment. Pricing is based on usage. Customers receive a five percent discount for a one-year term commitment and a 10 percent discount for a two-year commitment.
Local access charges range from $150 to $250 per month, depending on geographic location. The customer premise equipment (CPE) cost is $399 for Preferred Access 768.
As an introductory promotion, customers who sign up for one year or longer-term commitments will receive the lowest tier price ($650) for the first six months, regardless of usage. In addition, installation is reduced by 50 percent to $1500 and there is no charge for the CPE.
