When AT&T WorldNet Service added 100,000 new
subscribers in one month around the first of this year, complaints about
busy signals from members surged.
In response to consumer complaints about WorldNet access, AT&T promised
that the telecommunications giant would complete a network upgrade to
increase their modem capacity by the second quarter of this year.
Making good on their commitment, AT&T WorldNet Service announced Thursday
that more than $60 million has been spent to complete network capacity upgrades
and ensure greater Internet access reliability.
According to Michael Chaplo, AT&T WorldNet Service vice president of
marketing, the system upgrades will provide better service for current and
new subscribers for some time.
“The new capacity will ensure reliable Internet access for
existing subscribers, while helping us serve many new customers in 2000,” he said.
The system upgrade coincides with the release of an independent
survey that gave AT&T WorldNet
Service the highest possible reliability rating.
According to Inverse Network
Technology Inc.’s study of national Internet service providers, AT&T
WorldNet Service received a 98.7 percent success rate for successful first
attempt connections to the Internet during tests run in May.
Chaplo said the test results reflect what industry leadership is all
about.
“These Inverse results reflect what we strive for as an ISP; to
raise the bar on quality Internet access throughout the industry,” he said.
AT&T is celebrating the completed system upgrades with a new advertising
campaign promoting their personal network services. Beginning next week
AT&T plans to offer bundled communications services that combine WorldNet Service with AT&T long distance access for less than $20 a month.
AT&T spokesman Jonathan Varman said the promotion supplants
the company’s ability to provide a variety of calling services.
“The beauty of the offer is that AT&T can leverage the
companies full range of services to provide calling capabilities including
residential long distance, calling card services and
Internet access all on a single bill.”
WorldNet currently has 1.6 million subscribers in the U.S.
