WorldCom Expands Coverage of Business-Class High Speed Wireless Internet Access Services
WASHINGTON -- Delivering on its pledge to bring new and innovative communications services to market for the digital generation, WorldCom today announced expanded coverage of WorldCom Wireless Internet services to include seven U.S. cities, with plans to offer service in more than 30 cities nationwide by year-end.
WorldCom Wireless Internet leverages WorldCom's high performance, global IP network in combination with Metricom's Ricochet national network to enable mobile access to the Internet, corporate intranets and IP VPNs, e-mail, messaging systems and other corporate e-business applications. The fastest mobile wireless Internet service available today, the WorldCom Wireless Internet Services suite offers speeds up to 128 Kbps, and is immediately available in the metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, New York City, Minneapolis, Phoenix, and San Diego. Service will also be launched first quarter in Baltimore, Denver and Detroit. Later this year, WorldCom Wireless Internet service will be offered in San Francisco, San Jose, Philadelphia, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Salt Lake City among other major metro areas.
"WorldCom Wireless Internet services give customers more ways to get connected while traveling or working remotely," said Brian Brewer, Senior Vice President, WorldCom Marketing. "Our customers are demanding solutions that enable them to work anywhere, anytime. Coupled with our other remote access options such as dial, ISDN and DSL, wireless is an important extension of the company's product offerings. With WorldCom Wireless Internet, customers will have access to a complete spectrum of remote connectivity options to satisfy their telecommuters, traveling road warriors and other e-workforce needs."
Cahners In-Stat Group estimates that the number of worldwide wireless data subscribers will grow from more than 174 million in 2000 to more than 1.3 billion by the end of 2004. WorldCom Wireless Internet is available in professional, corporate and ISP editions to meet the needs of different size businesses. Each features capabilities that are unique to meeting the remote access requirements of small to large businesses. For example, the corporate edition features back- end administration support through directory-enabled networking technologies, while the professional edition is designed for individual users to easily install on their own to enable the service.
WorldCom Wireless Internet is also available in combination with WorldCom's Access Choice solutions. Access Choice is an offering that combines the company's premiere DSL, broadband mobile wireless and dial access services into one integrated offering. Designed to meet the needs of all remote users, traveling or telecommuting, WorldCom's service was the first to offer enterprise customers a complete combination of dial and broadband remote access services -- all in one package that is easy to administer and support. For example, a WorldCom customer can change their access preference from wired to wireless connectivity depending on location, circumstances and access availability.
With WorldCom's range of access solutions, an individual can move effortlessly and seamlessly from a dedicated connection at the office, to a wireless connection in an airport, to a dial connection at home. WorldCom's Wireless Internet is interoperable with WorldCom's IP VPN service, giving remote workers more connectivity options and convenience in working remotely. In addition to dial, ISDN and DSL, wireless access will be the fourth access method available to connect remotely to WorldCom's IP VPN solutions. The service will be available with a new internal modem, which offers end users more convenience and enhanced ease-of-use. Easy to install, the service is fully compatible with any laptop/desktop PC via Universal Serial Bus (USB) or serial port connectors.
WorldCom's customers have the advantage of more ways to be connected -- while traveling or working -- enabling them to work anywhere, anytime. Customers will have a multitude of remote connectivity options for telecommuters, traveling executives and other e-workforce needs. WorldCom Wireless Internet has been named a finalist for ComNet's 2001 New Product Achievement Award and will be on display this week at ComNet throughout WorldCom's booth #1126. About WorldCom WorldCom (Nasdaq: WCOM) is a preeminent global communications company for the digital generation, operating in more than 65 countries. Global revenues in 1999 were $37 billion, with more than $15 billion from high-growth data, Internet and international services. WorldCom provides the innovative technologies and services that are the foundation for business in the 21st century.
