Genuity launches DSL for business customers

BURLINGTON, MASS. - Genuity, formerly GTE Internetworking, is launching its first digital subscriber line (DSL) service for business users that offers high-speed access to the Internet without the high cost of dedicated lines.

The carrier's Enterprise DSL Internet Access Service will let businesses sign up for high-speed Internet access services that run over the same copper wiring as their phone services.

Genuity is coming out of the gate with one of the larger service areas - 45 markets - compared with UUNET with service available in 32 markets, Cable & Wireless in 21 and PSINet in 26. AT&T rivals Genuity with DSL services available in more than 50 markets.

Late bloomer

While Genuity has a leg up on some of its competitors, the ISP is a little late to the DSL business service game. UUNET launched its first, but unsuccessful DSL service in late 1996, with a revamped service coming out two years later.

PSINet launched DSL services in April 1999, AT&T in September of the same year and Cable & Wireless followed in October.

But because many business users are still in shopping mode when it comes to DSL service, Genuity should be in good shape. Cahners In-Stat Group says there will be almost 14 million DSL customers by 2002, compared with about 600,000 today.

While this is Genuity's initial business-class DSL service, it is not the ISP's first DSL service. More than a year ago the company announced wholesale and consumer DSL services.

The move allowed Genuity to get its network running with decent market reach before launching a business-class DSL service, says Pat Hurley, associate consultant at TeleChoice, a market research firm in Boston.

Team player

Genuity is working with Covad, Northpoint, Bell Atlantic and GTE to provision the last-mile connection to customer sites. Genuity has deployed RedBack DSL gear in more than 2,000 central-office sites that connect Genuity's ISP network to its DSL customers, says David Wasserman, director of product management for broadband services at Genuity.

"I don't know of another ISP that has teamed with four local service providers to provision DSL services," Hurley says.

That means that in some cities Genuity will be able to choose from two or three providers to quickly link a new customer, which could be an added benefit for business users, Hurley says.

DSL is Genuity's first in a series of broadband service announcements, Wasserman says. "We're starting with DSL, but our plans include offering cable modem and fixed wireless access services," Wasserman says. Additional details about these future service plans are not yet available, he says.

Enterprise DSL Internet Access Service is available for $90 to $300 per month. Customers can choose from three modems when signing up for service, two from Cabletron and one from Fujitsu that run between $200 and $300.

Genuity also charges customers a one-time installation fee of $225. To see if service is available in the cities where you need DSL check out the site.

Genuity: www.genuity.com