Pac Bell fires up fast Net access
The telco's ADSL service rollout in 200 California communities is the latest salvo in the battle to gain high-speed market share.
As reported yesterday, Pac Bell announced today that in July it will begin deploying high-speed access using asymmetrical digital subscriber lines (ADSL), which maximize the potential of regular copper phone lines.
Today's announcement bodes well for ADSL, according to John Hunter, a broadband analyst for telecom consultancy TeleChoice.
The pricing options to be offered by Pac Bell are as follows:
Those options don't include a one-time $125 installation fee as well as setup charges, plus the cost of equipment. Pac Bell will make ADSL equipment available, and pricing will depend on the package purchased.
Equipment that is necessary to use ADSL includes an ADSL modem, a splitter that divides voice and data traffic on a line, and a Network Interface Card for the computer.
According to TeleChoice, the North American DSL market is expected to reach an installed base of 110,000 lines this year, 355,000 in 1999, and more than 1 million in 2001.